Wizardess OneShots
by TheFallenHer0
Summary: A collection of oneshots for the characters of Wizardess Heart. Beware of spoilers.
1. Collection Introduction

This will be a collection of oneshots for Wizardess Heart. I will still be working on other stories, but this will be here to help me if I get writer's block.

I'll be sure to have a different MC for each guy, and the following page will have their names and a small bit of information about each. As I write about more of the guys, I'll update the page.

If you have any requests, just leave them in the comment section, and I'll try to get it done.

Beware of spoliers. They will be scattered throughout, so be careful.  
If a story contains spoilers for a story I'm writing, there'll be an additional warning at the top of the page.


	2. MC Introduction

_These may have some light spoilers, but nothing that should give away too much of the stories I have for these characters._

* * *

 **MC Introductions**

* * *

 **Stella Carlevaro**

Buddy: Yukiya Reizen

Appearance: Curly black hair, Ice-blue eyes

Familiar/Other: Tonio (Elder Wing Rabbit)

Background: Within a few months, a series of tragic events caused her to lose most of her family. She was left with only her younger brother, but a tragic spell was cast and the little boy was forever changed. As a result, the other villagers refused to help them, and eventually chased them out. During her escape, she came across La Merveille Magnifique, a circus. They were allowed to join, and that's where the two stayed until the girl received the acceptance letter.

* * *

 **Anastasia (Ana) Hollington**

Buddy: Elias Goldstein

Appearance: Short copper hair, Silver eyes

Familiar/Other: Elizabeth (Doll)

Background: When she was young, she was accepted into an elite program for one of her natural magical abilities, and she and her parents moved to the capital. After a fire claimed the lives of her mother and father, she moved back to the village she was born and raised in.

* * *

 **Lora Della**

Buddy: Luca Orlem

Appearance: Long, coral hair (as long as she is tall), Cognac Brown eyes

Familiar/Other: Eulala (Big Eared Hopping Mouse)

Background: She has an odd sense of naiveté about seemingly normal subjects. She loves riddles and poems, and also has an interest in mythology. At the dorm, she is roommates with Sabrina. Her magic extends through her hair, allowing her to use it as additional limbs.

* * *

 **Cecilia Bentley**

Buddy: Klaus Goldstein

Appearance: Platinum blonde hair, Light orange eyes

Familiar/Other: Honey (Pink Carbuncle)

Background: Her mother left her fisherman husband and young daughter for a richer, younger man. As she grew older, she also grew more susceptible to sickness. Because of this, she could not respond to her first acceptance letter. The next time she got one, she was able to go. She is actually the same age as Luca and Amelia.

* * *

 **Esme Everly**

Buddy: Serge Durandal

Appearance: Dark brown hair held usually held in a messy bun, Bright green eyes

Familiar/Other: Eliza (Sprite)

Background: Left at an orphanage as a baby, she doesn't know anything about her parents. When the orphanage was running low on beds, money, and food, she left, along with a few other children. Staying in the same village, she opened up a repair shop for carriages, clocks, watches, and the like. Those children who followed her agreed to work for her. Met Eliza while scrounging for parts, and the sprite stuck with her. While she originally wasn't too interested in joining the academy, she decided to go for her friends at the shop and the kids at the orphanage.

* * *

 **Calanthe Vigne**

Buddy: Guy Brighton

Appearance: Golden blonde hair, Bright golden eyes

Familiar/Other: -

Background: Living on her own in her house in the forest, she was shocked when the Acceptance letter appeared in her doorway. Despite her magical abilities, she never thought she would be considered a wizardess because of her unusual parentage. She was thrilled at the letter's arrival, and immediately packed her things. With immense skill in shapeshifting and a hunger for knowledge, she couldn't wait to attend the Academy.

* * *

 **Elyon Warvant**

Buddy: Joel Crawford

Appearance: Long white hair, Light blue eyes

Familiar/Other: Eress (Fairy)

Background: She lived alone with her mother, Evelyn, who was a powerful wizardess who went to the Academy before her but dropped out before she could graduate. After her mother passed during an epidemic, she was raised by an older rich woman who lost any family that lived in the village at the time.

* * *

 **Sabrina Adoracion**

Buddy: Vincent Knight

Appearance: Black hair, Rose colored eyes, Beauty mark by her right eye

Familiar/Other: Amity (Feligreen)

Background: While she seems to come from a well-off family, she doesn't talk about where she's from. It's also believed that she's going under a false name, though she won't deny nor acknowledge as that being the truth. She acts in a spoiled way, but is fairly kind to her classmates.


	3. Parent's Anniversary - Elias

"Oh, _come on! One more game? Please? I know I'll win!" begs a young girl with messy copper hair._

 _"Hell, no!" laughs a man with hair and a beard the same color, "I can't have my daughter beating me at cards!"_

 _"Language, dear." scolds a woman who shares the same silver eyes with the girl, "I don't want her to start cursing at school. Being the youngest puts enough attention and pressure on her already. We don't want her teachers to have a reason to dislike her."_

 _"But Mom! I know better!" grins the girl._

 _"Yeah, our ape-child is pretty smart!" adds the man._

 _"Dad!"_

 _The man chuckled at the look she gave him. He collected the cards they'd been playing with and put them away. The girl ran up and kissed his cheek, saying goodnight. He ruffled up her hair and wished her sweet dreams. Then, she followed her mother up the steps to her room. At her mother's gesture, she took a seat in front of a vanity. Her mother took a brush and fixed her hair while humming a song. When she was satisfied, the woman leaned down and kissed the girl's cheek. Giggling, she hugged the woman. She walked over to her bed and laid down. Just as her mother was about to walk out, the girl called her over. To the woman's surprise, the girl pulled her into another hug, only this was much tighter._

 _"Ana?"_

 _"I love you..."_

 _"What's wrong?"_

 _"Just wanted you to know..."_

 _After that, she let go of the woman and curled up. The woman waited until she thought she was asleep before leaving the room. The girl listened as her parents walked to their room and stretched out. Holding a hand to her heart, she wondered why she felt so anxious. After a while, she fell into an uneasy sleep._

 _The next the girl knew, she was being shaken awake by a maid. Before she could say anything, she was pulled from her bed. Yanked on by her arm, the girl was filled with shock and dread as she breathed in smok and saw flames climbing up the walls. The maid only let go of her after they were outside, along with a few other maids and a couple butlers. Feeling afraid, she called out for her parents, when a hand caught her arm. Her friend, an older boy, and his family was looking at her in concern. She shook off his hand and tried to run back in for her parents, only to be picked up and carried to a safe distance. She sobbed and shouted as the house began to fall a part, with her dear mother and father still inside._

* * *

"Ana!" called Amelia, looking worried.

Shooting up, the girl was panting and covered in a cold sweat. Her older roommate got her a glass of water and pet her head. This had been going on for the past couple days. She knew her friend was worried, but she couldn't bring herself to talk about it. Amelia didn't push her to talk either, but she seemed to want to. As usual with the past few days, she didn't allow the girl to brush her hair. Instead, Ana would just run her fingers through her hair and walk out. When it came to breakfast, she didn't sit with her usual friends either, and would stay outside.

"This isn't right, you know." Vincent would scold her.

 _I know, but I can't help it._

No matter what her friend would say to her, she'd just reply with a shrug. He'd been there since the event, and he was worried about her. Out of all her friends, the redhead was the only one who would scold her about her actions. He respected her need for privacy, so he didn't tell anyone why she was acting the way she was.

She didn't do much better in class. She already had a knack for messing up spells, but with the strain on her emotions, her magic was going haywire. She could tell her teachers and classmates were growing frustrated, but she stayed quiet about the reasons.

"They're only going to become more worried." her doll familiar, Elizabeth, told her.

 _I know, but I don't know what else to do._

She completely avoided Elias, her buddy and boyfriend. Whenever he'd try to talk to her, Ana would just run off. She felt horrible for what she was doing, she truly did, but the pain in her heart seemed to worsen if she tried to talk about it. So she didn't say a word.

On the seventh day, Ana quickly left her classroom before anyone coulld talk to her. As she hurried through the halls, she heard someone calling out from behind her.

"Ana!"

Realizing it was Elias, she broke into a run. As she made her to the forest that surrounded the school, she could hear him behind her. The girl had the advantage in this situation, as she'd grown up in the country and spent a lot of her childhood running through fields and climbing trees. Despite that, the boy kept running after her. When it was clear he wouldn't stop, she stood and turned around in a clearing with a lake. At her abrupt stop, he nearly crashed into her. As she helped him steady himseld, he took hold of her sleeve.

"Just give yourself a second to breathe, Elias." she said, trying to loosen his grip so she could rub his back.

To her surprise, he held on tighter.

"Just *wheeze* so you can *cough* run away *gasp* again?" he asked.

"I won't run away, so just relax."

He loosened his grip, but still held on. When his breathing levelled out, he stood up straight and looked her in the eyes. He looked at her with an anxious expression.

"Ana, what's going on? You're avoiding your friends, your magic is going nuts, you're not eating well. Amelia's said that you aren't sleeping well. Vincent said you were refusing to talk about it. Liz said you leave her in the dorm and go off alone. Everyone's really worried. I'm really worried!"

 _I know, but it hurts._

"Nothing's wrong..." she mumbled, avoiding his gaze.

"Something is. Please, if you can't tell me the reason, tell me how I can help." he continued, moving to meet her eyes.

 _I know, but I can't say._

"There's nothing to talk about." she insisted, turning her head to avoid him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his expression change to one of worry and frustration. He took her by the shoulders so she couldn't avoid his gaze.

"Anastasia Hollington, I love you. I want to be there for you when you need me. No, I want to be there for you even when you don't." he confidentally told her, laying a hand on her cheek, "Please, _please_ don't shut me or our friends out. You're not alone anymore."

At his words, Ana felt something warm fall onto her cheek. She watched as the boy's eyes widened in surprise and his once confident (and maturely attractive) expression fell into concern.

"A-are you crying? I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make you upset!" he stumbled.

She threw her arms around him and buried her face between his neck and his shoulder. He let out a rather unappealing squawk as he stiffened.

"I'm not crying." she mumbled, refusing to let him see her face.

He relaxed slightly as he returned her embrace. He rubbed her back, as one would do to comfort a child.

"Then what did I see falling from your eyes?"

"Sweat..."

"From your eyes?"

"They didn't come from my eyes. I don't even have tear ducts."

"Alright," he chuckled, "you weren't crying."

They stayed like that for a while, and for the first time in a long time, she quietly cried. Elias didn't say a word, only held her close. After some time passed, she lifted her head and let go of his neck. They walked over to a dry spot by the lake. When they sat down, she leaned her head on his shoulder. She suppressed a smirk as she noticed his cheeks turn pink.

"I've... been dreaming. It's the same dream every time."

"What dream?" he asked in a calm voice.

"The last time I saw my parents. Our house in the capital. The smoke and fire. The fear. All of it."

"Ana..." he said, turning to look at her, "Why didn't you say anything? How long has this been going on?"

"It's the seventh day. I didn't say anything because... I... I guess I thought I could last until it passed."

"It?"

"Tomorrow..." she started, swallowing a shaky breath,"is the... anniversary... of..."

She stopped to take a breath.

"Of their passing..."

At that, Elias suddenly shifted his position. She was so caught off guard, she ended up falling into his chest. He moved closer and held her tightly, resting his chin on top of her head without a word. Fully enclosed in his warmth, she curled up closer to him. When she started sniffling, he began rubbing her back again.

"I'm not crying, just so you know..." she mumbled.

"I know."

After some time passed, they looked up to find the sun beginning to sink. They stood up, and to Ana's surprise, he held her hand. He had always been too shy to do so in public, and as she looked up, she saw his face turning red.

"Elias?"

"We'd better get going." he said, avoiding her gaze.

Smiling softly, she took his hand and together they started walking. As they made their way to the dorms, she glanced up.

"You've never been able to say those three words to me without turning into a beet before." she teased.

"W-what?"

"You used my full name and said you loved me, and that you wanted to be there for me whether I needed you or not!"

"I-I-" he spluttered.

"It was really sweet and romantic. Oh, and you looked so mature and manly when you said it all." she continued, giving him a teasing smile.

"You know wha-"

"My point," she interrupted him, "is that you made me happy. Really, really happy. Thanks to you, I feel a lot better."

"O-oh... I'm glad." he said, his face still bright red.

With a grin on her face, Ana went on her toes and kissed her boyfriend on his cheek.

"Ana!"

Giggling, she took his hand again and kept walking. That night, she explained her situation to Amelia, who hugged her tightly. When she turned, she saw Elizabeth smiling at her. When she went to sleep that night, she dreamed of the same night, but it started from earlier in the day and ended before she had gone to bed. When she awoke the next morning, she stopped her roommate from leaving and asked, albeit awkwardly, if she could fix her hair. The older girl grinned and nodded. After that, she walked with her to the Dining Hall, where she met up with her regular group. After she apologized, they either patted her shoulder or scruffed up her hair, much to Amelia's annoyance. In class, her magic was still unstable, but it was less chaotic than it had been the last few days.

When classes ended, she walked to the area she and Elias had been the day before. While she was feeling a lot better, she still hurt. It didn't help that since their death, this would be the first time she couldn't visit their gravestones at her village. As she sat hugging her knees, she heard someone approach. A hand held her shoulder, and when she looked up, her buddy was smiling gently. He took her hand and helped her to her feet. Taking her hand again, he began walking. WHenever she'd ask about their destination, he'd just say it was a surprise. As they walked, she realized he was holding a bouquet of flowers from the greenhouse. Eventually they arrived at the headmaster's room. When her boyfriend knocked, the door opened. There stood Headmaster Randolph holding an odd, egg-looking thing.

"Hello, Ana."

"H-hello, sir. Is something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Elias came to talk to me yesterday. He explained your recent behavior and made a request."

"A.. request?" she repeated.

"Yes," he nodded, "when I crack this stone, you will be transported to your village. You won't be able to talk or touch anyone, and you won't be seen. It only lasts an hour or two, so you'll have some time. The only catch is that your buddy must go with you."

"M-my village?"

"I thought you might to visit your mother and father." Elias explained, "Was I wrong to do this?"

Her eyes welling with tears, Ana shook her head. He smiled in relief before turning to the smirking headmaster. When they were ready, he cast the spell and the air was filled with smoke. When it cleared, they were at the entrance of her home village. She quickly pulled the boy along, not giving him a chance to look around.

 _I'll show him around during our next big break._

As the headmaster had said, no one could tell they were there. After some time of walking, they arrived at the cemetary. Ana slowed her pace and walked through passed the headstones. She stopped in front of a tree with purple flowers. She bowed to the two headstones, and Elias followed suit.

"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad." she said with a shaky voice, " Sorry I'm late. Things are a bit crazy at the academy, but I'm getting better at other forms of magic. I've met a lot of people, and I've made a lot of friends."

As the girl continued talking to her parents, Elias stopped to read the stones. The first read,

 _Natalia Hollington  
Age 37  
Beloved Mother and Wife  
May Her Good Heart Protect All She Loves  
"Allow love and happiness to guide you wherever you go."_

He wondered how loving and kind a person Ana's mother had been. He looked over at the next grave.

 _Nicholas Hollington  
Age 35  
A Great Father and Husband  
And One Hell of a Card Player  
"May laughter and friends follow you through life."_

He smiled and imagined that her father was the type that anyone could get along with. As he glanced over, he saw Ana tearing up as she started to say goodbye. He reached over and squeezed her hand. She gave him a grateful smile before bidding one last farewell. As she stepped away, she watched in surprise as Elias walked forward. He set the bouquet down between the two graves and bowed.

"My name is Elias Goldstein. I'm Ana's buddy... and boyfriend. I truly love your daughter with all my heart, and I wanted to say that I will watch over her and protect her, for as long as I live. She's made some really great friends at the academy, people who'll stand by her when she needs them, and people she'll stand by if they need her. As parents, I understand that you must worry for her immensely, but rest assured that there are people who deeply care for her."

As the boy went on, Ana felt her heart begin to swell. She held a hand to her mouth, trying to keep from tearing up again. For probably the billionth time in the past couple days, she thought about how lucky she was to have him.

Later that day, Ana had gone to bed. Not long after closing her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

 _A young girl, only five or six, sat on the couch next to her mother. She was starting to doze off with her mother lovingly running her fingers through her hair._

 _"Ana?"_

 _"Hm?" the little girl mumbled._

 _"You are the pride and joy of your father and I, you know that?"_

 _"Mm-hm."_

 _"My sweet, I want you to know that someday, you'll find people who care for you just as we do. People who will help you when you need them, and people you'll help when they need you. Maybe you'll even find someone who loves you as your father and I love each other."_

 _"Mm..."_

 _The woman chuckled before continuing._

 _"What I'm trying to say is, while you may have to deal with conflict throughout your life, there will always people who will love you and care for you. It may take time to find them, but you will. I just know it."_

 _The little gave her a sleepy smile before snuggling up to her. The woman smiled as she leaned down and hugged her close. A man came walking in, about to give a loud greeting, when he saw his sleeping daughter and smiling wife. Without a word, he flopped down on the other side of the girl, prompting the woman to scold him. With a hearty laugh, he pulled the two over into a tight hug.  
_

 _"You're gonna live a happy, fun life, kiddo." the man said to the sleeping girl._

 _"One filled with love and friends." added the woman._

 _The three stayed stayed like that for a long time, holding each other close, with the man and woman watching the girl with gazes filled with love and adoration._


	4. Hangry - Klaus

Klaus casually glanced at the young lady putting books away. Even her familiar, Honey the only pink carbuncle to have ever been seen, seemed down. The girl's platinum blonde hair was down, without any headbands, hair clips, or any of the things she normally used. That had what caught his attention when Cecilia first walked in. The second was the upset look on her face. She always seemed content, never too bored, too happy, too sad. It was a soothing feeling. When the prefect decided to try teasing her, she grew huffy.  
Of course, that only encouraged him.

After a few seemingly light-hearted jabs, her tangerine eyes gave him a glare so cold and full of quiet anger, it made even the emperor uncomfortable. He stopped giving her a hard time, though, and set back to work, feeling a touch annoyed himself. When he looked up, he gave a heavy, annoyed sigh. He stood up and pulled out the last five books his girlfriend had put away. Stacking them in front of her, he turned towards her.

"What's with you today? If you're mad about something, you shouldn't let it interfere with your work. Look, these were all put in the wrong place." Klaus began, until his scolding was interrupted.

Abruptly picking up his stack, as well as her own, she walked towards his desk. About to take them from her, as he didn't want her overworking her naturally frail body, when she set them down with a loud thump. Whipping around, she walked up to her boyfriend and looked him in the eyes.

"If my work is so poor today," she snapped back with an annoyed look of her own, "you can do it yourself!"

With that, she left the prefect in silent surprise. He started to say something, only to be interrupted by her cool reminder that he'd been perfectly fine without her help before, and promptly left. Her words sounded too close to what lovers said when they were about to end things, and with that realization, he quickly chased after her, only to find no trace of the girl. Klaus tried to use magic, but realized she had some sort of barrier hiding her. He sighed at how Cecilia's magic would work properly at the worst times. With no other choice left, he regained his composure and went to look for the people who might have an idea as to what was going on.  
He calmly explained the situation to each when he'd found them, but the emperor was very unsatisfied with the results.

"Sheesh, is that why she didn't come to home room? Prefect, you're not the best with women, are you?" Luca snickered, only to disappear when Klaus raised his wand.

"Dunno..." Yukiya replied with a yawn, prompting the man to roll his eyes.

"Maybe she's tired of your attitude." Joel had grumbled, and the emperor was further annoyed that his glare did nothing to the young man.

"Y-yes, she didn't show up in h-home room! B-but she s-said not t-to worry. I-it was e-excused!" stuttered a terrified Elias, making his brother sigh in exasperation.

"Perhaps you're overthinking this?" wondered Azusa, and the prefect shook his head.

"Try focusing on her more than your prefect duties! You'll both have more fun that way!" laughed Randy, and the emperor was nearly impressed, until one of the second prefect's experiments exploded.

"Why are you so upset?" asked Leon dazedly, and Klaus eventually stormed off, sick of answering question, after question, after question.

"Sound tough, Klaus. I guess you could try pampering her a little. You know, remind her how special she is." suggested Vincent, but the prefect wanted to figure out the root of the problem.

The sun was beginning to set, and feeling completely and utterly lost, Klaus let out a heavy sigh. He really was worried about his Cecilia, and it worried him that he hadn't seen a sign of her since she'd left his office. Suddenlt, he saw a flash of orange and saw Amelia out of the corner of his eye. As she was his girlfriend's roommate and best friend, he figured she'd be able to help him figure it all out. He walked up and explained the situation for what felt like the billionth time that day.

"Well, she got home really late, and slept in passed her alarm." the girl told him.

"You know she gets sick easily! Why was she out so late?"

"You may be a prefect, but I am a lady!" Amelia warned, "I don't appreciate your accusative tone. Anyway, she was out late because she was practicing magic. You ever think you're too hard on her about it? You oughta know that with the way she grew up, she didn't rely on her ability to use magic. Instead of scolding her for what she's only just learning, try praising her for what she does for herself, others, and you!"

With that said, the girl promptly twirled around and walked towards the dorms. Klaus stood for a minute in surprise, when Honey suddenly landed on his shoulder. Remembering that the carbuncle never strayed far from his mistress' side, he quickly followed the pink creature. To his surprise, he was led back to his office. Pushing open the door, he was met with Cecilia's shy smile.

"Klaus, I-" she started, only to be interrupted by a strong hug.

"No. I should have figured out something was wrong. I was a bit harsh this morning, even though I could tell you weren't your usual self."

"I should have said something. I snapped at you and you had no idea why." she smiled back.

Forgiving one another's words and actions, they smiled at eachother. Leaning down, Klaus kissed her forehead and Cecilia giggled. Stepping back, she showed him a small bag. He opened it and found two sandwiches. Looking up, he found that she was already making tea. He smiled and set up a spot for them to eat.

"You see, because I went to bed late, I missed dinner. Then, I was so tired I slept through my alarm. I was still tired and very hungry, so I wasn't... in the most _sociable_ mood. I missed home room because I went back to the nurse's office to sleep. I woke up at around luch time, and since I felt bad about what I did, I wanted to make it up to you. So, after my last class got out, I convinced Professor Merkulova to let me use the kitchen so I could make these for us." Cecilia explained.

Klaus nodded, understanding. The he chuckled at the thought that while he was afraid that she was about to dump him, she was just tired and hungry. Furrowing her borws at him, she scolded him for laughing at it, but the prefect noticed she was suppressing a smile. When they were done, Kluas pulled her over onto his lap. Leaning down he kissed her lips, smiling at the light blush that bloomed on her cheeks.

"I think I need to punish you for making me worry so much." he purred.

"Well, I think I need to head back to the dorms." she smirked back.

He frowned, making her laugh. Cecilia leaned up, giving her boyfriend a sweet kiss before patting his cheek and getting up. Part of him wanted to pull her back into his arms, but if she wanted to go home, he wouldn't stop her. Standing up, he got ready to walk her back. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear that made her face turn bright red. As she playfully batted away his arm, he laughed.

Oh yes. He would let her go home, now.  
Later, however, he would get revenge over his mad rushing throughout the day.  
Stealing one last kiss from her far too perfect lips, he swore it.


	5. Girl Gone Gecko - Luca

It was getting pretty late, but Idette was in no mood for sleep. Amelia had already escaped to dreamland, but the lavender-haired girl was determined to get the spell right. In class, when she'd cast the spell on her familiar, but somehow, the light brown gecko ended up with wings and flew around the classroom. While it had been harmless, a nice change, it was still embarrassing. Frowning, Idette pushed up her glasses, drew her wand, and repeated the incantation.  
Nothing happened.

"Maybe it's because you're tired." offered Lizette.

"Maybe..." she grumbled.

Feeling grumpy, Idette took her familiar and set her in the little bed she'd made for her. Then, she climbed into her own bed and fell asleep. She had an odd dream where she shrunk to a very small size. When she woke up, her body felt weird and achy.

"I-Ida?" called out Amelia, and her voice sounded odd somehow.

Opening her eyes, she was shocked to find everything around her was ginormous.

"What's going on?!" she tried to shout, but only panicked chirping came out.

"Oh, Idette. Did a spell go wrong?"

Amelia carefully picked her up and placed her in front. She was shocked at what she saw. A lavender gecko with wide, lilac eyes was staring back. She let out a shriek and Amelia gave her a pitiful look.

"Hey, we'll figure this out!" called a new voice.

Turning around, she saw a new girl. She had peach skin and chocolate brown hair. One might think she was a normal human. That is, until you saw her rose-colored gecko eyes. She had a simple blanket wrapped around her as she watched Idette and Amelia.

"So, you and Lizette switched places? That's... kind of impressive. You didn't just switch bodies, you switched forms!" Amelia said with wide eyes.

"She said it's not impressive, it's terrible." Lizette translated Idette's chirping.

"Well, I'm sure one of the professors can fix it." her roommate reassured her.

With that, she turned her attention to the lizard-to-girl. She pulled out some of Idette's clothes for her. Taking out some pink ribbons, she put Lizette's hair into two pigtails and tied a ribbon lightly around Idette's neck. After that, the familiar carefully put her mistress on her shoulder and walked out. Going through the courtyard, they started to draw attention.

"Don't tell them anything! If anyone finds out what happened, I'll never live it down!" Idette begged.

"No problem." Lizette replied, sticking out a grey tongue, "Oh, look! It's Luca!"

"Avoid him!" she hissed.

The familiar girl nodded and quickly stepped off the path. They walked towards the forest to wait for classes to start. The girl-to-lizard was grateful that she didn't have any classes for the day, but it was still annoying that she couldn't practice her spells. She was about to sigh, when she heard something behind them. Lizette whipped her head around and squealed when she saw who it was.

"Run!" Idette shrieked.

Lizette quickly turned and ran farther into the forest. Their pursuer followed them, picking up pace. Unable to do anything else, she continued squealing at her familiar, until suddenly, their follower was no longer behind them, but in front. Before Lizette could stop, or Idette figure out what could happen, they crashed into them.

"Oof! You alright there?" asked Luca, just barely catching them.

"Fantastic! Goodbye now." replied the girl, looking away to keep him from seeing her inhuman eyes.

As she tried to walk away, he quickly stopped her.

"What, no thank you?"

"Thank you. Now, goodbye."

"Hang on! Is something wrong?"

"No."

" _Run._ " whispered Idette.

The familiar nodded, then tried to turn around.

"Oh, you have a lizard? My girlfriend does, too."

They both stiffened up at his words.

"R-really? How nice." Lizette awkwardly replied.

"Yes. Though she always tries to bite me. The familiar, not my girlfriend."

"I really don't care."

Suddenly, Idette was hanging in the air. She shrieked until she was put down on someone's hand. Someone who was not Amelia or Lizette. She felt someone's finger petting her.

"She's adorable! What's her name?" he asked with a smirk.

"Uh... Id-Id-Idabelle!" the familiar stuttered.

"And yours?"

"L-L-Lizaphine!"

If Idette had hands, she'd be slapping her forehead. 'Lizaphine' gave her an apologetic look. Leaning over, she tried to pick her mistress back up.

"Well, Luca. Nice seeing you and all, but we're saying goodbye now." she replied, but Luca stepped back, holding her out of the familiar's reach.

"How'd you know my name?" he asked, eyes eyes twinkling.

Lizette stared at him in shock, unable to answer. Laughing, the green-haired boy ran off, still holding a certain purple lizard. He walked around the campus, avoiding the familiar-girl. Eventually, when it seemed they had lost her, Luca went inside.

"Hm, maybe I'll show you to Idette. She's usually in the library on her day off."

"Do you usually try to find me lizards?" she asked, but of course he couldn't understand her.

He walked in, looking around with a lazy expression. While he was seemingly distracted, Idette got ready to jump onto a nearby shelf. When he was facing the opposite direction, she leaped.

"Uh-uh!" he scolded after reciting an incantation.

She turned her head to face him as she hung mid-air. She hissed with all she had while glaring at him. Much to her annoyance, he laughed and picked her back up. He called her cute, which made Idette rather embarrassed. After some more time in the library, he gave up on finding his girlfriend there. He walked out, his girlfriend-to-gecko groaning on his shoulder. Luca walked over to some trees and quickly climbed up. Placing his finger over her mouth, he looked at someone on the ground with a mischevious smirk.

"Luca? Ide- I mean, Idabelle? Where are you?" called the human Lizette with a worried face.

Quietly pulling out his wand, he cast a spell on her. As she called out, her voice suddenly changed to her usual chirping. Confused, Idette looked at her boyfriend, who gave an innocent smile.

"Gee! I wonder what happened."

"You liar!" she hissed, only to be surprised when her normal voice came out.

"Huh, how odd! This little lizard sounds just like my girlfriend!" he said with mock surprise.

"Yes, yes. You've had your fun. Now please put me back."

"I did. It'll take some time, though." he chuckled, "This is a pretty complicated situation, but you should be normal in no time."

The little purple lizard let out an annoyed growl. Laughing, Luca pointed down. Idette saw the texture of Lizette's skin shifting back to it's same bumpy pattern. Realizing that her own flesh must be doing the opposite, she began to panic. Seeing this, the boy dropped out of the tree. He put her back on her familiar's shoulder and turned them towards the dorms.

"You're gonna want to hurry."

"What do you mean?" questioned Idette.

"If the spell finishes before you get back, you'll be out here completely... _exposed_. Now, as much as I like you, I'd really rather you not walk around in the nude."

Blushing heavily, she shrieked at Lizette to run back. They quickly left behind a laughing Luca.

...  
...

"But I wanna look pretty!" whined a certain pink-eyed gecko.

"Since when do you care?" asked a human Idette.

The girl was brushing her lavender hair until it neatly fell by her chin. The familiar sighed, rolling over to expose a round white belly. She continued to dramatically complain and her mistress' eyebrow began to twitch. Unable to take the fussing, which had begun as soon as they'd turned back and only paused after they fell asleep, she stormed over to her drawer. Pulling out a purple ribbon, she stormed back over. Despite how irritated she was, she carefully flipped her familiar back over and neatly tied a bow around her neck. Thoroughly satisfied, Lizette began chirping in pleasure. Rolling her eyes, Idette picked her up and ran out.

In class, they were practicing the same spell as before. Today, it seemed Luca was going to stay for class, but Idette's pleasure quickly changed to embarrassment. He kept making jokes about the day before, and it was getting very hard to concentrate on casting the spell on her familiar. Pushing up her glasses, she began grumbling when there was a sudden poof of green smoke. The other students began coughing, but as the air cleared, its effects were made apparent.  
Elias squawked and covered his eyes, looking faint. Yukiya just looked out the window with red cheeks. Some girls stared in jealousy, others in shock. A group of boys just stared, their eyes saying more than Idette would care to know, the others followed Yukiya's lead.

There standing in front of Idette's desk, was a human Lizette. A very _exposed_ Lizette. Thankfully, the ribbon that had been around her neck changed along with the spell. It had changed into a shawl of sorts, just barely covering what ought to have been covered. The familiar-gone-human giggled at the class' reactions.

Now, one might wonder what Luca was doing during all this. Well, one would have to ask the tiny green gecko sitting on the random pile of clothes by the boy's desk. Idette never knew if lizards could laugh, but on that particular day, she discovered they could.

While the whole situation filled the girl with mortification, she was grateful that Ms Filtrine was teaching, and not Professor Schuyler.

"Don't worry, Ida! We'll have an even easier time fixing it this time!" Lizette cheered.

"Yeah, Ida! _Let's fix it._ " added Lizard Luca.

Pulling off her cloak and tying it around her familiar-girl, Idette heaved a sigh.  
This just wasn't her week.


	6. Double Date - Joel

**This chapter will have spoilers on Eress' true form and a little about the end of Joel's route.**

* * *

Her doe eyes wide, Elyon gave her beloved boy a pleading look. Joel avoided her gaze, stubbornly refusing to her request.

"Please, Joel?" she begged, "Eress was kind enough to offer!"

"I don't want to go on a double date."

"Oh, but she and Salamander said they'd show us around the fairy world!"

"I don't want to go on a double date." he repeated.

At his firm reply, Elyon couldn't bring herself to push him. If he didn't want to go, she couldn't make him. Despite her efforts, she couldn't keep the disappointment off her face. The black-haired boy saw this and let out a heavy sigh.

"Just this once."

"Oh, thank you, Joel!" she squealed, giving him a heart-warming smile.

He blushed as he looked away. For the rest of that day, Elyon was in a good mood and Joel had a hard time feeling upset.

When the day of the date came, they met up at the front of the girls' dorm. Since they were going to the fairy realm, the girl decided to dress up a bit. She felt good with her snow-white hair pulled into a mermaid braid, courtesy of Amelia, and her light blue dress. Its slim fit and short flowy skirt flattered her petite frame, while the puffed sleeves stopped at her elbows. She'd secretly bought it during the last field day specifically for a date. She wore a pair of white, kitten heel mary-janes, also a gift from Amelia, and she had a small matching purse. Her dear boyfriend was dressed in his usual black suit, and the girl sighed as she imagined what a certain fairy's reaction would be. However, any worries she had faded away when Joel gave her a warm smile and heartfelt compliment.

"Not fair that I have to share you her..." he muttered.

"Hm? Did you say something?" asked Elyon, tilting her head.

"Don't worry about it."

He gently took her hand, making her blush. Together they walked to the fairy gate. With his key, Joel unlocked it and the couple stepped through. Waiting for them were two fairies. The first was a young woman with four, light leaf-like wings, her light blue hair floating around like she was underwater. Her white dress was cute and accentuate an hourglass figure. Next to the woman was a young man with two pale red wings. He had bright orange hair that seemed to move like a flame, and deep red eyes glancing at his companion every so often. He wore dark pants and a red mandarin vest, showing off a pair of muscular arms.  
When the two girls saw each other, huge grins bloomed. The taller, blue-haired woman flew to the other and pulled her into a bear hug.

"I can't believe you got that grouch to agree!" Eress laughed, shooting a pointed glare at the spellsinger.

"I can't believe I agreed to spend the day with a bug." he shot back.

"Hey! You take that back!"

"Whatever."

"Don't you roll your eyes!"

As the two started going back and forth, Elyon and Salamander exchanged glances and sighed. After a few more moments, they broke the arguing pair a part and started their tour of the fairy realm. They avoided the more dangerous areas, and stuck to the places near the castle. The two humans were surprised to find a shopping area similar to the ones in the town back home, only the fruits here were oddly shaped and strangely colored. With advice from Salamander, who turned out to be quite the cook, Elyon picked some ingredients to bake with. She wanted to make something for Amelia to thank her, and she wanted to bake some sweets for Elias, Luca, Yukiya, and the rest since it was unlikely that they'd get to try the fairy food on their own.

"I can write up some recipes." offered the fairy of fire.

"Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you!" replied the girl of snow.

"Hmph!" harrumphed the fairy of blue.

"Whatever." grumbled the boy of songs.

Seeing their lovers' grumpy attitudes, Salamander and Elyon laughed. The girl took her boyfriends hand with a shy smile, offering to make him something with the ingredients tomorrow, and the fairy kissed his beloved's cheek. Satisfied, they continued walking around. After some time passed, Eress took Elyon's hand.

"We're gonna walk around on our own for a bit!" she told the boys.

"Hang on! We're on a date here!" Salamander reminded her, his brows furrowed.

"You got me here, you don't get to just leave!" added Joel.

"You two just bond. We'll meet for lunch." Eress cheekily called back.

"A-ah! I'm sorry, we'll see you soon!" Elyon shouted over her shoulder, pulled along by her friend.

As they passed through the crowd, she saw the two men exchange annoyed looks. Then, they were out of sight. She turned to the blue fairy, who was giggling. At her cheerful expression, Elyon couldn't suppress a smile. Eventually, she was led to a dress shop. Looking around, Elyon lightly gasped. There were dresses of many different colors and styles, and the fabric on all of them seemed to sparkle. As the girl's eyes began twinkling, Eress laughed.

"You can pick out whatever you want!" the fairy told her, dramatically spreading her arms.

"Oh, but I couldn't!" she replied, shaking her head.

"Think of it as a gift from the king!"

"I... wouldn't feel right."

"Hmm... Then think of it as a thank you. You know, for saving the fairy world and all."

"I don't need a thank you, though. Besides, you and Salamander are showing Joel and I around."

"You saved our world. We still need to pay you back."

"Really, I'm quite con-"

"Pick stuff!"

"O-okay!"

At her friend's order, Elyon quickly turned to the dresses. She spent some time looking around, trying to decide on the best dresses. Eress tapped her foot, waiting. After a while, the girl picked out three dresses. The first was a light yellow color. It had a sweetheart neckline with a pair of straps wrapping aorund the back of the neck. It fell just above the knees and would flow nicely when a breeze came by. There were sunflowers embroidered on the bottom, creating a summery look. The second dress was a light blue with an off-shoulder design with sleeves that stopped at the elbows, and its skirt flared out more than the first. The third dress was a light lilac color. It had a strapless, semi-sweetheart neckline and was tea length. Darker purple and blue flowers were painted on the bottom and grew more sparse as you looked up the dress. When she saw the last dress, Eress insisted on getting a pair of white, opera-length gloves. When they were done, they bought it all and started to head back to the boys.

Some time later, as the sun began to set, the fairy couple led the human couple back to the gate. As they were saying there goodbyes, Elyon quickly reached into her bag. She took out the second dress she'd picked and gave to her friend.

"Huh? What's this?" Eress asked, tilting her head.

"You had your eye on it almost the whole time."

"W-what? I told you to pick out stuff for yourself!"

"No, you said to 'pick stuff,' and I did."

"Ellie!" the fairy squealed, her eyes watery as she pulled the girl in for a hug, "You're too sweet!"

"No, I just thought you'd look pretty in it."

"You are too sweet! Too sweet for that grouch!"

"You're an awfully annoying bug." Joel muttered.

"Hey!"

"Okay, okay." Salamander said, stepping in between, "It's getting late, so we'd better go home. Joel, don't forget what talked about." he added with a wink.

As the boy nodded back, the girls exchanged confused glances. Saying goodbye, they went their separate ways. The sun had set, so they had already missed the curfew. Using this reasoning, Joel managed to convince his girlfriend to stay behind a few more moments. Thinking he just wanted to talk, she stepped closer. Elyon let out a surprised squeak as he pulled her into his arms.

"J-Joel?"

"I shared you with her all day, and she even got to pull you away. I bet that's what she wanted from the start." he said, furrowing his brows.

"Are you, by any chance," Elyon began, watching his behavior, "sulking?"

He quickly turned his attention back to her.

"No, I don't sulk. I'm not a child."

"Of course." she giggled.

"I'm not sulking!"

"Right."

"Stop giggling!"

At his attempts to deny it, she kept laughing. After a while, he grew annoyed and decided to quiet her snickering another way. Tilting her chin up, he quickly bent down and stole her lips. Elyon went silent as her face turned bright red.

"J-J-Joel! W-we're outside!" she stuttered after she regained some of her composure.

Now, it was his turn to laugh. She puffed out her cheeks as she looked away. He took a breath to end his chuckling as he gently turned her face towards him. He suddenly grew nervous as she looked up at him with wide light blue eyes. Joel carefully took out a small box and handed it to her. As excited as she was, Elyon carefully opened it and gasped. Inside was a pair of dark blue earrings in the shape of flowers. She went on her toes and tightly hugged her boyfriend, who blushed with a smile.

"Oh, thank you! They're lovely, and they'll go perfectly with- um, never mind..."

"With wha- gah!" he started to ask, only to be surprised by a kiss on the cheek.

Before he could recover, she took his arm, reminding him of the trouble they'd be in if they got caught. As they got to the dorms, they shared a goodnight kiss nd went their separate ways. Elyon snuck over to the area beneath her window, and softly called to her roommate. Amelia stepped out and whispered an incantation that made the younger girl float. The orange-haired girl pulled her inside and released her from her spell. Elyon excitedly pulled her to her bed, where she pulled out the first dress.

"Here, Amelia! I thought of you as soon as I saw it." the white-haired girl told her with a smile.

"Oh, it's so cute! It'll be perfect for my date with Terrance!" Amelia squealed, giving Elyon a hug, "You're too sweet!"

"I'm hearing that a lot tonight." she shyly smiled.

"Oh, what's that dress for? It's so pretty and fancy."

"Ah, Joel was given the position as the Guardian of the Fairy Garden, so the Ministry is thowing a gala. He invited me as his date, and I didn't have anything to wear for it."

"You'll look gorgeous! Would you like me to do your hair for the event?"

"It'd be amazing if you would!"

"Of course!"

They both laughed and talked for a while. Amelia was fascinated by what she heard about the fairy world, and she knew better than to ask how to get there. She was happy enough to hear about it, along with the dress and the soon-to-be-baked sweets. As they turned out the lights, Elyon snuck one last look at the earrings Joel had gotten her. They gave her a warm feeling as she started to drift into sleep.


	7. Lias - Elias

_This story takes place long before the main story._

* * *

Even at eight years old, Elias Goldstein didn't like to play outside. Rather, he preferred to stay in his family's library and read. His older brothers always teased him about it, but his mother had always come to his defense. It annoyed him, as his mother continued to baby him in spite of his efforts to make her stop. It didn't help that Nicholas and Klaus were now at the Gedonlune Royal Magic Academy, thus leaving Little Elias alone with his parents. His mother was even more clingy and protective than ever before.  
That was probably what pushed him to slip away the first chance he got.

Yes, the little bookworm escaped from his mother's hawk eye. His family was visiting the town by the Academy, but they were unable to meet with his brothers. While his parents were talking to some old friends, Elias had carefully slipped away, with no particular destination in mind.

And now he was lost.

He had somehow walked into the nearby forest, and though he could still faintly hear the sounds of the market, he couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. He had never been lost before, and never so alone. Even at home, there were butlers or maids within calling distance, but here, there was no one.  
Or so he thought.

"Watcha doin'?" called a voice from above.

Snapping his head up, Elias saw a girl around his age sitting up in a tree. She had wild copper hair that was sticking out every which way. Her large, silver eyes were watching him with curiosity. Quickly sniffling up his tears, he answered.

"I-I'm exploring!"

"Exploring? Why are ya crying?" she asked, hopping down.

The young Goldstein tried to stop her, certain she'd break something, but she landed quite gracefully. She walked over and to the boy's dismay, she was an inch or two taller. She gave him a wide grin, and he saw that she was missing a tooth.

"Don't be upset, Shorty!"

"I'm not short! I'll be taller soon enough!"

"Okay, Shorty."

"Stop it!"

Elias was about to start yelling but stopped short when the strange burst into laughter. He took a confused step back, only for her to take a step forward.

"What's your name, Shorty?"

"Elias G-"

"I'm Ana! My full name's a mouth full, so people just call me by my nickname. Anyway, are you lost, Lias?"

"It's Elias, and I'm not lost."

"Lias, its okay if you're lost. I'll help you get back!"

"My name is _E_ lias, and I know what I'm doing!"

"Lias is lost. Lost is Lias!" she sang.

"I'm done with you!" the boy shouted, throwing his arms up.

He turned around and stormed off. Ana was an infuriating person, unlike anyone he'd met before. The children he'd always talked to were from other higher class families, and were always well-behaved, with neat hair and clean clothes. This girl was the complete opposite, and he had no idea how to act around her. As he began to wonder if that was just how normal kids acted, Elias began to feel bad about being sensitive. Suddenly, something shot by him, grabbing his hand as it went.

"Sorry! No time to explain!" Ana shouted.

As he was being pulled along, he heard someone shouting for the girl. They went farther into the forest, faster and faster until whoever was following them was far out of earshot. As he bent over panting, the girl turned to him.

"Sorry! Vince was gonna find me. We're playing hide and seek, but I wasn't supposed to go in the woods."

"So why'd you bring me along?!"

"Dunno. But since you're here now, anywhere you wanna go? I'll take you."

"Unless you can get me into the Academy, then no."

"Huh?" asked Ana, tilting her head, "Why do you wanna go there?"

"My brothers go there, but I can't just show up to say hello."

The girl stopped, rubbing her chin in thought. She furrowed her brows, muttering something he couldn't hear. After a few more moments, her face brightened up. Taking his hand, much more gently this time, she led Elias throught the forest. Whenever he'd try to ask where they were going, Ana would just tell him it was a surprise. After a while, they got to a fence. The girl let out a loud whistle and a bird flew over.

"What's going on?" asked an annoyed and confused Elias.

"Just wait a second!" Ana smiled back.

He did as she said, albeit impatiently. After a while, the bird came back with a pocket watch. It dropped it, and the boy leaped forward to catch it. Upon further inspection, he recognized it. His father had given it to his oldest brother a few years ago. With perfect timing, the boy himself ran over.

"Where di- Elias?!" Nicholas asked in surprise.

"I-I... Hi?" Elias stuttered.

He looked at Ana for answers and grinned.

"Hurry up and talk to your brother. Vince is already gonna be mad."

"Oh? Who's this? A friend?" Nicholas asked, facing the girl.

"Lady Knight Ana." she replied, dramatically bowing.

The older boy laughed, introducing himself and turned back to his brother. The two could only talk for a short while before a bell rang. Bidding each other farewell, and returning the pocket watch, Elias and Ana watched the oldest son of the Goldsteins run back to class. After he was out of sight, Ana led him back through the forest. To his surprise, it didn't take long to get back to town. Perhaps it had to do with all the talking they did.

"Well, here we are!" Ana announced with a grin.

"Yeah, thank you!" Elias smiled back.

The girl was about to say something, when she was suddenly swept up into the air by a red-haired teenage boy. As the girl laughed, the teenager sighed and began scolding her. She called him silly, and the boy realized that this must be 'Vince'. The boy began carrying off towards the market, and the youngest Goldstein suddenly felt very lonely.

"Bye, Elias! I hope we meet again!" Ana shouted, carried off like a sack of potatoes.

"Goodbye, Ana!" he shouted back.

With that, the two disappeared into the crowd. Not long after, his mother and father found him. He was given a tough lecture, and had to endure his mother's smothering affection, but somehow, it didn't bother him as much. As he walked back to the inn with his parents, Elias excitedly told them about his adventure with his new friend.


	8. Little Circus Girl - Yukiya

_This takes place a long time before the main story._

* * *

Little Yukiya was excited, even if he didn't show it. At ten years old, he and his family were on their way to a traveling circus. His father had come home the day before, happy to announce that it would be in town, and it would be perfect for Yukiya's birthday. He held his youngest brother on his lap as he rode on the wagon, and his other three siblings were bouncing around. The trip felt longer than it had actually been, but when it came to a stop, the little boy excitedly jumped out. He pushed down his anticipation and helped his family off, making his parents smile. As Yukiya, his mother, and his siblings went to find seat, his father went to buy treats and sweets.

After what felt like an eternity, the show started. He, along with the crowd, marvelled at the sights. There was man who breathed fire, a woman who could be only seen in mirrors, people who had claws and fangs but sang like birds, there was even a bearded woman. However, the act that really stuck with the boy was the snake charmer.

The snake itself was terrifying. Stretched out, it was at least the length of two houses, and its head was large enough for an adult to stand on. Its beautiful green scales and golden eyes were both entrancing and intimidating. However, it was not the snake alone that caught his interest. The charmer was a girl around his age! Her black hair was pulled into two braids, and she wore a shirt and shorts the same color as the snake's scales. She sang with a beautiful voice, which seemed to be what controlled the snake. The girl carefully sat down on the snakes head, and the crowd gasped as it slithered around, raising its head to look at the audience members. Suddenly, the older of Yukiya's sisters started shouting about it being his birthday. His face paled as his other siblings and parents started chanting it, and soon, other people added on. The girl and snake saw this and met the boy's eyes. Grinning, they made their way over.

"So it's you they're talking about?" she asked, just barely audible over the nearby people.

"Y-yeah..." he mumbled.

"Want to do something really, really fun?" she asked with an excited gleam in her eyes.

Yukiya gave an awkward nod, and the girl gave him a warm smile that made his heart skip a beat. She carefully stood up and offered her hand. Something about her made him nod and take it. With her help, he stood on the snake's head. He whispered an apology and its tail flicked. The boy tightly held on to the girl as they went around the circus tent. After the second or third lap, she helped him back to his seat. As he stepped off, she lightly touched her nose to his, making his cheeks go red. For the rest of the show, he watched the snake charmer.

After the show, the Reizen family stuck around to see the other acts. As they walked through, Yukiya swore he saw someone weaving in and out through the crowd. Suddenly, his father realized that Yukiya's oldest brother had wandered off in the crowd. They stepped away to get a better view of things, and his father went to find someone who worked there. His other siblings were too scared to leave their mother, and the little boy was worried about his brother. Without hesitation, he went around looking. He began to worry that he would get lost himself, when he suddenly heard a pair of familiar voices.

"There, now you're all better!" laughed a girl.

"Mm-hm..." mumbled a little boy.

Looking behind a small tent, Yukiya saw the snake charmer tying a bandage around his little brother's foot. The little boy was avoiding the girl's gaze, his cheeks bright red. Walking over, Yukiya called his brother's name. The little boy imediately leaped up and ran to his brother. The girl stood up straight, her ice-blue eyes filled with warmth. She walked over and patted the younger boy's head.

"Seems he tripped and when he looked up, you were all gone. He started wandering around and ended up in mine and my brother's tent. He caught us off guard But he's all good now, right big man?"

"Mm-hm."

"T... Thank you..." Yukiya mumbled.

The girl smiled and lightly bumped their noses again.

"It's a sign of affection!" she giggled, "I do it with my brother and my friends all the time."

"O-oh."

Suddenly, the two boys heard their father running up. As he began to scold his sons, Yukiya turned to glance at the girl. She had already stepped back into a tent, so the lighting wasn't all that great. All he saw was the shadows of the girl's face and two more pairs of eyes staring out before the flap closed. The boy stayed there, staring at where the girl had disappeared, until his father took his hand. Together, they met back up with the rest of the family.  
As he watched the circus get farther and farther away as the wagon headed home, his mother asked if he was alright. When he told them about the girl, his parents exchanged knowing smiles. They grinned even more as they saw how dreamy his expression got when he described her smile. The fact that he kept talking about it the whole trip back meant something, since the boy was usually so quiet. Over the next few weeks, he'd get that same look, and his parents told their friends about the reason. It was so cute and sweet, they couldn't stop bringing it up. The women would laugh, saying how the little one was already growing up. The men grinned, telling him he was on his way to becoming a man. The little boy sighed, regretting he ever mentioned her to his parents.  
It was a long time before they all stopped teasing him about his first crush.


	9. JuneBug - Joel

**The first meeting between Elyon and Joel! Or should I say June?**

* * *

"Evelyn! How long are you going to keep us standing here?!" called a woman's voice from outside.

"Keep talking to me like that, and it'll be for eternity!" the white haired young woman shouted back.

A little girl with white hair let out a heavy sigh. She walked over to the door and allowed her mother's friend inside. In walked a woman with brown hair, one eye gold, the other sky blue. A man with black hair and mahogany eyes followed. Hiding behind their legs was a little girl around Elyon's age. She had her father's black hair, albeit longer and curlier, and her mother's mismatched eyes. She wore a nice, neat, green dress.

Elyon straightened out her simpler orange dress, then addressed the guests.

"Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Crawford." she greeted them.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elyon." the man greeted her, "We're old friends of your mother's."

"Evie! Why is your daughter greeting us like the adult?!" the woman shouted.

"Because she is the adult!" her mother laughed back.

Flying down the stairs, Evelyn Warvant burst into the room in a grey shirt with loose fit white pants. Her otherwise wild hair was pulled back into a ponytail. As he walked up to the couple, Elyon noticed once again how other adults with children her age were some years older than her own mother.

"JuneBug, come on out." urged Mr. Crawford.

"Yes, yes! Say hello to Elyon. She's Evelyn's daughter, the one we told you about." the woman added.

The children were unaware of the look Evelyn threw at the woman. Instead, Elyon stepped forward. She offered her hand with a warm smile.

"My name's Elyon! It's nice to meet you, June."

"... S'nice to meet you, too." mumbled the girl with black hair, lightly shaking the offered hand.

"Nigel, Penny, come sit down. Ellie made us sweets to snack on!" Evelyn proudly boasted.

"Oh, thank you." the man smiled.

As the three adults went to sit outside, the little girls followed. The white-haired little girl led her guest towards the homemade swing as their parents talked.

"So, you _two_ seem to be doing well." Mrs. Crawford started.

"Penny!"

"Oh, yes. The _two_ of us are doing just fine." Evelyn nodded back.

"Can I just get to the point?"

"You always do."

"Both of you, _please_." pleaded Mr. Crawford.

"Where is her father? Why isn't he here?"

"None of your business."

"Who is he? Do we know him? Is it Loran?" asked Mrs. Crawford.

"God, no! He's like my brother! And who he is is none of your concern!" Evelyn hissed.

"Why?! We were like sisters! Why hide this from me?!"

"If I remember correctly, your mother was a single parent, too."

"Yes, which is why I'm worried about you! It was so hard on my mother, so-"

"This is why you're only meeting Ellie now! We're fine. Penny, I know you're worried, but he was a good man. I've got a good job, and Ellie's happy, so please, just accept things as they are."

After some moments of silence, Mrs. Crawford bit her lip and apologized. Before any of them could say anything more, the two children came running back. June held out a bouquet of brightly colored flowers. Mr. Crawford thanked Elyon for the delicious sweets, and his wife chimed in with her approval. Evelyn boasted once again, and the adults went back to their conversations, the air feeling lighter than it was before. Once again, Elyon led June away.

"Where are we going?" asked June.

"I wanna show you some place."

"Why me?"

"Other kids don't like me much, so I thought I could show you."

They walked through the woods for a bit, when they finally found a tall iron fence. Elyon pointed, and when June found what she was referring to, she gasped. There, not too far away, was a beautiful, colorful garden. There were exotic flowers and trees, and June let out a sigh.

"It belongs to Mrs. Cloeten. She's pretty old and kind of scary, but I think she's a good person deep down." Elyon told her.

"Why's that?"

"How could a bad person have such a beautiful garden? She even does it herself! Well, sometimes she has some help, but still. Anyway, do you want a peach?"

"Um, okay?"

With a firm nod, the white-haired girl turned to the trees. After calling out for a little bit, a squirrel came down. After politely asking for help, the woodland creature ran through the fence. Not long after, it came back with a peach. After saying thank you and goodbye, the two girls walked back into the woods. She offered her guest the first bite, which June took cautiously.

"Don't worry, JuneBug. I always send one of my friends over to put flowers on her doorstep." Elyon reassured her.

"I thought you said the other kids don't like you."

"People may not, but the animals seem to like me. My magic allows me to talk to them!" she smiled, though her eyes were a little sad, "So... I'm not lonely. My friends don't have to be humans, right?"

"I'll be your friend."

Her eyes widening, she looked up at June. The girl gave her a warm smiled and offered the peach. Her faces breaking into a large smile, Elyon took it.

"Thank you."

...  
...

After another hour or so, it was time for the Crawfords to return to their new house in the village. To everyone's surprise, June gave her new friend a big hug, and after a moment, Elyon returned it, just as tightly. Evelyn looked at her old friends and smiled after a moment.

"Well, I guess if you behave, I might invite you over again." she smirked.

"If Ellie makes more delicious sweets, maybe we'll invite you first." Mrs. Crawford smiled back, looking hopeful.

"Alright, June. Time to let go so we can go home." Mr. Crawford said.

"Okay..."

The two white-haired girls waved goodbye to the trio. Once they were out of sight, Evelyn yawned and picked up her daughter.

"Hey, Snowflake, make your momma some more sweets. Nigel _inhaled_ them before I could touch'em."

"What kind?"

"Whatever you want, kid."

"You'll complain about what I choose later. That's what you always do."

"Hey! Take that back!"

Elyon giggled as her mother acted hurt. Then, she cheerfully set to baking, daydreaming about her new friend.


	10. Oh - Amelia & Terrance

"O-Oh..."

Terrance gaped, shocked by her response. Amelia panicked. She hadn't meant to give him that for an answer. The boy's face turned crimson and he tried to backtrack.

"I-I mean - I - Gah! F-Forget I just said that!" The boy scrambled to his feet and started to stiffly walk off.

Amelia sat, frozen by surprise.

 _He... He just said he likes me! And all I said was "Oh"!_

She wanted to smack herself in the face for her lame answer. The boy she'd loved for the past two years had just confessed to her! Amelia groaned and buried her face in her hands. All the practiced flirting, all the times she nearly asked him out, all of it wasted because she hadn't expected his sudden confession.

 _No... No! I'm not gonna let it all go to waste!_

Amelia lifted her head. Terrance wasn't too far away. She could catch up to him if she ran.  
So she did.  
The girl jumped to her feet and practically flew down the the stoned path. She shouted his name, and as he turned to face her, she hugged him tightly. He gave a surprised squawk. The boy was too surprised to even think of shaking her off. Not that he could. Amelia was hugging his arms to his body.

"M-Millie?!" Terrance stared at her. "L-Let me go!"

"No!" She tightened her embrace.

"P-Please! Just forget what I said! Let's just go back to how it was before!"

"Not gonna happen!" She frowned at him.

"Why?!"

"Because, you idiot!" The girl hid her face in his chest. "I... like you, too. I've liked you this whole time..."

It was silent for a few moments. Amelia gathered her courage and lifted her head, daring to look at the boy's face. Steam was practically pouring from Terrance's ears as he stared straight ahead. The girl bit her lip and spoke.

"T-Terry?"

"Amelia... Could you... let go of me for a second?"

"Oh, s-sure!"

The girl loosened her grip, but before she could step away, she wrapped up in a tight embrace. Terrance seemed to be trembling, ever so slightly as he hugged her. After a moment, Amelia wrapped her arms around his back.

"I'm... I'm so happy!" he admitted, "I thought... that I wasn't your type. Geoff and Luca are flirty and they joke around. I'm not like that, but you seemed to really enjoy being with them... I thought it would ruin our friendship if I told you about my feelings..."

"You're a dummy," Amelia chuckled, "Geoff... was a fun guy to be with, but we weren't... we didn't _like_ each other like, well, like how I feel about you. And Luca and I never actually dated. He's just likes to joke around... And, um... You're definitely my type."

Terrance tightened his embrace. The girl smiled. After a moment, they parted. The boy scratched his neck.

"Um... then, would it be alright if we went on a date?"

Amelia grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	11. Back Off - Elias

Ana tripped.

Professor Jennai had sent her to deliver papers to the headmaster's office. She didn't understand why, but the woman seemed to favor her despite her mistakes in class. Luca said it might be because of her natural ability to manipulate inorganic materials, the gift that had granted her short time fame. Whatever the reason, she always picked Ana to run errands during class, which greatly frustrated the girl, as she really needed to learn what was being taught in class.

Anyway, in her rush to the headmaster's office, she'd tripped over one of the laces of her shoes and face planted on the ground.

"At least no one saw..." she muttered, quickly picking up the papers.

"I wouldn't say that." chuckled a voice.

Whipping her head up, she saw a boy around her age. He had black hair swept out to the sides and dark brown eyes. He had a nice figure, but something in his eyes made Ana a bit uncomfortable.

"U-um, something wrong?" she asked.

"No, no. I'm just enjoying the view." he replied with a smirk.

 _What the- No, Ana. Just pick up the papers and go. You don't have time to worry about Hallway Dude._

Yet even as she tried to ignore him, she could feel his eyes on her as she picked up the papers. When she was finally done, she shot past the boy. She gave him no more thought, as she never thought their paths would cross again.

...  
...

After class, Ana and Elias decided to go the library to study. Well, really, Elias had to drag her there and the two kept bickering all the way. Even when they got to the library and found a table, Ana was purposefully trying to annoy him. She'd loudly sigh and lean heavily on his arm, until he'd snap something at her, to which she'd play dumb. After a while, her boyfriend suggested something.

"If you're not going to study, can you at least find a book to keep you occupied so _I_ can?"

" _Fine_..." she groaned, "You want anything, Liz?" she asked her familiar.

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I'm trying to find the notes you need for your next test." the doll smiled back.

"You do too much for her." Elias sighed.

The doll just chuckled. Ana shrugged before going on her way. Looking around, she saw an adventure novel. It was just barely within reach, so Ana had to go on her toes and stretch as much as possible. Grinning when she finally got a hold of it, Ana went back on her feet.

"Now, that was another nice view." purred a voice.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Don't mind me."

Ana furrowed her brows in confusion. She quickly left, not even looking in the guy's direction. She sat down, but didn't move after that.

"What's wrong with you?" asked Elias, who looked thoroughly confused.

"Just some weirdo," she muttered.

"What do you mean?" he asked, a serious look falling over his face.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt I'll see him again."

After saying that, Ana threw herself into her book. She was completely oblivious to the dark look on her boyfriend's face as he glanced around.

...  
...

"My name is Victor Adams. I'm going to be joining your class until the end of this week."

 _Him again?!_

There, standing at the front of the classroom, was the guy from the hallway and the library. She glared at him, and her temper started shorten further when he threw her a cheeky smirk. Rolling her eyes, Ana avoided his eyes. Luca and Yukiya saw this and echanged looks. Elias was closely observing Victor, figuring he was the 'weirdo' Ana had been referring to. As he went to find his seat, he let his arm brush against Ana's shoulder. She flinched, but the guy just snickered. Elias' eyes widened at his boldness before narrowing.  
He did not like this guy.

All throughout class, he noticed the appraising looks Victor would throw at his girlfriend. He could tell Ana was growing frustrated. As soon as the bell rang, Elias was by Ana's side.

"Let's go, Ana." he said.

"Okay." she nodded, packing up her stuff.

In spite of his efforts to get her out quickly, their temporary classmate walked over. He ran a hand through his hair and gave her a charming smile.

"Hey, I was wondering if you had the notes for today's lesson. I didn't take a lot."

"Oh, um..." Ana awkwardly started.

"If you need to take notes," Elias cut in, "Professor Gonzalez always records his lessons. Just go up and ask for a copy."

"Oh..." Victor responded, his brows furrowed, "Thanks... I guess."

Shooting a glare at him, Elias ushered Ana out the door. Once they'd made some distance, Elias spoke up.

"Is he the 'weirdo' you were talking about?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I also saw him before when I was running some errands for Professor Jennai."

"What did he say?"

"Stuff about nice views. It was really uncomfortable, so I left as soon as possible."

"That's probably for the best." Elias growled.

He was growing increasingly... _unfriendly_ towards Victor.

...  
...

Walking to class, Elias was much closer to Ana than usual. He looked around, like he was expecting something to jump out at them. His girlfriend shot him a confused look.

"What are you doing?" she asked, tilting her head.

"N-nothing."

They made their way to the classroom. As Ana went to sit down, _he_ walked over. Just as he started to greet her, Elias stood back up.  
But someone beat him to the punch.

"Morning, Ana." Luca lazily smiled.

"Morning!" she smiled back.

Luca kept talking to her, not giving the black-haired student a chance to speak. Eventually, he sat back down. When he did, Luca subtley winked at Elias. In spite of their frequent (one-sided) arguments, Luca was a good guy and a good friend. The blond nodded back.

...  
...

Ana was growing uncomfortable.  
And very annoyed.

Victor would make quiet remarks that were very _ungentlemanly_ during class, quiet enough so the teacher couldn't hear, but loud enough for her. No matter how many times she told to knock it off, he'd just laugh and keep doing it. She grew more and more irritated each time it had happened. She discussed this one morning with her friends.

"He sounds like an ass." growled Joel.

"He is!" confirmed Luca.

Yukiya silently nodded in agreement.

"What do you think of this guy?" Guy asked Elias.

"I'm not particularly fond of him." muttered the blond.

"You don't think," Ana said after a moment, "he's trying to pick a fight, do you?"

The group stared at her in shock. After a moment, Luca began laughing.

"Oh, god, Ana! Well, if she thinks that, we don't have anything to worry about, eh, Elias?" he asked.

"Yeah..." he absentmindedly replied.

...  
...

"Hey, Ana? Why do you ignore me?" asked Victor, sticking out his bottom lip, "It really hurts my feelings!"

"You'll live." she growled back.

He'd ended up cornering her in the library. She'd only gone to find an extra textbook, and she'd ended up leaving Elizabeth in the courtyard with their friends in the courtyard. Victor had been looking at some books when she turned down the aisle. They had surprised each other, but his face had melted into a slimy smile.

"You just can't stay away, can you?" he had said.

He'd kept stepping forward and she kept stepping back, until he had her trapped in a corner of the aisle.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed.

"Why so upset? I'm handsome, you're cute, why not give me a chance? I mean, sure, usually I go for sexier girls, but I'll give you a chance."

"What?! How dare you you! Get off me, you jerk!"

"Hey, hey, while I'd like to see you hot and bothered," he smirked as he leaned his face in, "I'd rather it be for other reasons."

"Oh, my- you're disgusting!"

Victor pushed his arms against the wall, trapping her. Curling her lip, Ana held her textbook out in front of her, as though it were some sort of shield. As he pressed forward, Ana pressed the the book back.

 _Oh, Elias! Help me!_

Victor took hold of the book and pressed out of the way.

"Come on, Ana! Just a little kiss? I promise, it'll leave you begging for more."

"No! I said no, now _get away from me_!"

Just as Victor started to lean his head towrds her, Ana shut her eyes and turned her head away.  
And just like that, he was gone.

 _Oh, god! Did I accidentally use magic again? Please don't be permanent, please don't be permanent!_

Cautiously opening one eye, she was met with a sight she never that she'd see. There was Elias, holding Victor to the wall with a tight hold on his collar. Her boyfriend's face was twisted in rage, however, he spoke quietly.

"When a girl says no, she means _no_." he hissed, "And _my_ Ana said no. Now, back off before _I_ do something _you'll_ regret!"

"W-whatever! Y-you're just another Goldstein! You guys only care about your image!" Victor spluttered back.

"Is that a theory you _really_ want to test?"

With Victor shaking his head, fear written all over his face, Elias let him go. Well, it was more like Elias tossed him aside and left him stumbling as he ran. Then he turned back to his girlfriend. Her eyes widened at how quickly his expression went from anger to concern.

"Ana, are you alright?" he asked.

"Um, I'm fine!" she nodded, her cheeks a bit pink.

 _He looked... really cool just now._

"I got worried when you were taking so long, so I came looking for you. Of course, that creep would find you as soon as you were alone." he growled.

Stepping forward, Ana took his hand in hers. She gave a sweet smile.

"Thanks, Elias. You're my hero."

His face turned red when he heard that.

"W-well, you already told him to s-stop, and people n-need to listen when they're told t-to stop!"

A sly look fell over her face when Ana saw her boyfriend's cute reaction. Going on her toes so she'd be eye level with Elias.

"Well, would you like your reward?"

"Huh?! I-I..."

"No?"

"I didn't... I mean... um..." he stuttered, then his blush grew deeper as he muttered, "... Yes."

He was so cute, she decided not kiss his cheek, like she originally planned. Instead, she turned his face towards her as she gave him a short, sweet kiss on the lips. When she pulled back, his face was redder than it had been in a while. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted, however, when four guys came barreling around the corner. The couple watched in shocked silence as Joel accidentally tripped Yukiya and crashed into him, Guy collided with Joel, and Luca silently watch the other three fall.

"Well, I was gonna say the cavalry has arrived," Luca began, "but it looks like the prince has already saved the princess."

"I'd rather be a knight," Ana stated, then went with Elias to help the other three up.

As they were dusting themselves off, a grimoire came flying down, shrieking for them to leave immediately. As the group quickly made their way out the door, Ana felt Elias wrap his hand around hers. She squeezed it as she gave him a shy smile. He smiled back, his cheeks blushing.

...  
...

"Why didn't anyone tell me this til now?!" roared Vincent, "I woulda smashed the bastard into a pulp!"

Ana and Amelia sighed. While the redhead wasn't prone to violence or cursing, he made an exception when it came to Ana, who he considered to be his sister. As they didn't want Vincent to do something that could get him in serious trouble, they decided to wait until after the matter was resolved to tell him.  
Of course, he expressed his displeasure quite thoroughly.

Ana exchanged a look with Elias. He seemed proud to have been able to handle the situation on his own, so she made it a point to praise him on it whenever the incident was mentioned. Leaning over, she pecked him on the cheek, giggling as his face turned red.


	12. Girlish Charm - Serge

"What?!"

"Relax, Esme. I just thought you'd wanna read it." Amelia sighed.

"O-okay, but I-I can't do this stuff!"

In her hands was one of Amelia's magazines. The article in question was about guys with boyish charm, like Serge. The article made good points, how the innocent nature could be charming at some times, while others it could make their lovers feel like babysitters. While Esme had never really felt like Serge's babysitter, she would occasionally feel like she was with one of the guys who worked at her shop, needing to watch over him so he didn't do something he wasn't supposed to. She would never _say_ that was she'd felt, because she knew that was just who he is and she loved him, but still.

"I thought you might be interested. I'm sorry if I offended you or Randy." Amelia sheepishly apologized.

"Huh? N-no, don't be sorry." Esme said, raising her hands, "I-it's actually made s-some good points..."

"Really? Are you gonna try what it suggests?"

Yes, the article was not only about the type of guy, but also how to deal with them.  
Romantically.

With bright red cheeks, Esme gave a tiny nod. Amelia grinned, offering her help.

...  
...

Today was both Esme's and Serge's day off. With a red face, she looked back at her reflection in the mirror. With Amelia's help, the girl looking back was cute, and looked like a completely different person. She had on a light green dress with no sleeves and a slim fit around her waist, a pair of green earrings, and her bangs were put in a braid that melded into a high a ponytail. She even had on some lip gloss and eyeliner. Feeling it was a bit too much of a change, Esme threw on her socks and regular short, brown, lace up boots and her loose dark brown jacket. She left the zipper undone as she rolled up her sleeves.

"You look cute." grinned Amelia.

"Prettier than the day I met you!" cooed Eliza.

She turned and scrunched her face up at the tiny, glowing pink girl.

"We met at a junkyard. I was covered in soot and oil."

"Which is why I said you look prettier!"

Esme rolled her eyes, but her two friends saw her blushing. She took a deep breath and marched off to find her boyfriend. Serge was usually in his office working on some experiment or another. As she walked, she walked she heard a familiar voice.

"Esme!"

Turning her head, she saw a tiny stuffed animal running towards her. She smiled as she picked Taffy up.

"Esme look pretty today!" he grinned.

"T-thank you..."

"Is Esme going to find Master?"

"Yeah. Is he in his office?"

"Uh-huh!"

"You too?"

He shook his head.

"I running errands for Master!"

"Ah, okay. Well, I'll let you get back to it. I'll tell Randy what a good job you're doing, too."

At that, he gave a bright smile. She set him down, and Taffy went running off in some direction. Taking another deep breath, she pushed on. It felt like an eternity had passed on her way to the office, but she got there. Trying to cool her frazzled nerves, she knocked on his office door and announced her presence. She heard him invite her in, and she stepped inside. Serge was hunched over, furiously scribbling in one of his notebooks.

"H-hi..."

"Hey, Esme!" he greeted her without looking up, "Come check out this new idea I have!"

Genuinely curious, she walked over. It looked pretty elaborate, and it relied on both mechanics and magic. Leaning down, she analyzed some of the details.

"That won't work unless you have some more support. It'll just collapse." she told him.

"Oh, really? Ah, now I see!"

As they continued talking back and forth, Esme remembered why she was here. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she saw how close they were. With her cheeks bright red, she took the first step.

 _I can do this!_

Wrapping her arms around the back of his neck, she hugged him from behind.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Serge asked, twisting around to look at her.

"I-it was uncomfortable b-being hunched o-over like that." she replied as she avoided his gaze.

"Oh, okay. Anyways..."

She was shocked as he continued working on his experiments. It took a lot of courage to do something like this, but he wasn't fazed in the slightest? She had to turn up the heat. She leaned against him and rested her head against his.

"That type of metal will bend under intense heat. You're better off with the kind I usually get." she said, reading over his notes.

"Ah! You're awesome, Esme!" he grinned at her.

Her eyebrow began to twitch at how he wasn't flustered in the slightest at their position. Her heart was beating a mile a minute!

 _What the hell?!_

She suppressed the urge to groan in frustration as she nuzzled closer to her boyfriend. To keep from stuttering, she whispered her request.

"Hey, Serge? Can we go on a date?"

At this, he seemed to stiffen slightly, but just as her hopes were starting to rise, he relaxed as he responded.

"Sure! Usually, Klaus would tell us not to, but because he's not feeling well, I need to take care of some prefect work in town."

"Oh, is he okay?"

"Nothin' too bad. Besides, I hear a girl is taking care of him."

"Cecilia? He's gotta be loving the attention." she smirked.

"Huh? Why?"

"Cause he's totally in lo- Wow. Your obliviousness knows no bounds."

She rolled her eyes at the confused look he gave her. Esme waited by the door as Serge packed up some documents. With the help of Professor Merkulova, the couple went into town. When they got there, they dropped off some documents at a magic shop.

"Brooms." Serge explained.

There were quite a few other documents, but as they passed by a snack cart, Serge stopped. He bought two gyros and gave one to his girlfriend.

"Thanks!" she said with a smile.

 _Nico would be soo jealous. I'm gonna put this in my next letter home._

They continued walking, dropping off documents or picking them up from different places all over town. They'd also stop by some shops to collect materials for their latest experiment. After a while, Esme wondered if she'd been following the magazine's advice as much as she should have. He really wasn't acting any different from usual, so maybe she hadn't done enough. As Serge was buying crepes, Esme thought about what she could do.

"Here you go!"

"Thanks, Ser- Randy."

"Sir Randy?" he laughed, "I like it! ou can be Princess Esme!"

"I'd rather be a knight, too. Or maybe a court alchemist."

They continued talking about silly matters, when she saw her chance. While he had already finished his sweet, there was whip cream on his cheek. After working up her courage, she lifted her hand. He was so busy talking, Serge didn't realize she was doing until it was too late. Esme wiped off the whip cream from his cheek and licked it off. She felt a surge (no pun intended) of victory as his cheeks turned pink.

"Tastes sweet." she said.

He stared at her. Esme played dumb as she gave him a curious look.

"Something wrong?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

He watched her face closely, and Esme was afraid she would burst into flames from embarrassment. To hide her feelings, she took his hand and began walking.

"O-one last stop, right? Let's get to it. We can work on your next experiment when we get back!"

"Right!"

They quickly made their way to the last stop. As her boyfriend talked to the man behind the counter, Esme felt a wave of disappointment. He was acting like he usually did, and she began to wonder if she had imagined his blush from earlier. As she bit her bottom lip in frustration, she didn't notice her boyfriend's gaze.

Now that they were done with work, which had taken longer than either had expected, they returned to the academy. While Esme was a bit disappointed that certain things hadn't gone according to plan, she was more happy that she could spend nearly the whole day with the man she loved.  
Not that she'd ever admit it.

As the two walked along the road in the woods, the two kept talking about their experiment. As they bounced ideas back and forth, Esme remembered the last bit of advice from the magazine. It would take a lot of courage to do something so bold, but her curiousity as to what would happen pushed her to do it. She thought of a way she could pull it off, as her boyfriend was quite a bit taller, and what reason she could use to get him close enough. As she thought back over the day, she remembered the crepes.

"Huh..."

"What's up?" Serge asked, tilting his head.

"My nose. It smells like strawberries." Esme replied, putting on a confused expression.

"Does it?"

He leaned down and sniffed.

 _Damn it! He's still too far._

"Try leaning closer. I swear, it's gotta be from the crepes."

And lean closer he did. Serge's face was very close and Esme had to act before she lost her courage.

"I still don- Mmph?!"

She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips against his. Her face was bright red, but she stayed like that for as lon as she could.

* * *

 _'If all else fails, surprise him with a kiss! Hold it and watch him melt under your untamed affection, you sly fox!'_

 _"Amelia! What the hell kind of advice is this?!"_

 _"E-Esme, calm down. You look like you might pass out..."_

* * *

When her boyfriend started to kiss her back, she began to internally flip out. She pulled away and took hold of his hand as she quickly continued on their way.

"Let'sgetbacksowecanworkonyourexperiment,okay?Okay."

She couldn't even imagine facing him right now, so she didn't. Not even her powerful curiousity could make her look back and see his expression. With a face practically on fire, Esme led her boyfriend back to his office. She took the bag of different parts from him and set them down. To avoid looking at him, she set to sorting them out. She listened as he silently stood there. After some moments of silence, he walked over to his desk and got his notebook.

 _Oh my god! I actually did that! I really, actually did that! Say something, Serge! No, wait! Don't! Oh my god!_

As her hands began shaking, she heard him walking over. He stood directly behind her and set his notebook down next to some of the parts.

"So," he started, resting his chin on her shoulder, "Do we have everything?"

"Y-ye-yes!"

"Sweet! So, first, we need this."

He reached one hand around her to get one of the metal pieces. She grew very flustered and tried to step to the open space to her left. Only, Serge decided to grab another part with his left hand. Now trapped, Esme tried to keep her nerves calm. Then, he lifted his arms, pulling tem close together as he analyzed both pieces. It realy felt like he was hugging her from behind.

"S-should I move? I-I mean, it c-can't be easy to s-see!" she spluttered.

"No, you're fine."

As he set the parts down, Esme had enough space to turn around. As she looked up at his face, her breath caught in her throat.

Serge was smiling, as usual. Only this time, his face lacked its usual innocence. He looked very mature, and Esme remebered with a start that he was the same age as Klaus. His eyes, half-lidded, were watching her, and within those eyes, she could see amusement, victory, love, and something she couldn't place. She could do nothing but stare at his face with wide eyes. He chuckled, though it seemed more mature than his usual, boyish laugh.

"Something wrong?"

"N-n-no!" she squeaked.

He leaned down until she felt his breath on her lips.

"It looks like you've got something you want to say. Are you sure it's nothing?"

"U-um!"

 _What do I do?! That article gave no advice on what to do after that! Why didn't I think this through more thoroughly?!_

"Hey! I think I smell the strawberries, now."

"Wha- Hmph!"

He kissed her. It was a sweet kiss that seemed to make her melt from the inside out. They didn't kiss on the lips very often, s whenever the two did, it felt all the more romantic. However, this time, Esme decided to do something different.  
Squeezing her eyes shut, she kissed him back. He seemed surprised for a moment, but Esme could feel a smile forming on his lips.

Eventually, Serge pulled away and after a moment, Esme opened her eyes. He had his usual expression on his face, with the addition of a blush. With her heart pounding, she offered a shy smile.

"S-shall we get to work?" she asked.

"Yeah!" he smiled, when that look in his eyes returned, "By the way, you looked very pretty today."

"T-thanks." she replied.

He kissed her on the cheek and the two got back to their work. Theyworked on their experiment until the sun began to set. Serge walked her back to the dorms and gave her a quick kiss goodnight on her cheek. As he walked off, Esme held a hand to her cheek.

 _I seriously thought my heart was gonna stop! I'm not gonna try that again for a long, long time!_

Yet even as she thought that, Esme touched her fingers to her lips with a shy smile.


	13. First Date - Amelia & Terrance

Amelia pulled out the yellow dress. It's sweetheart neckline and flowy skirt were flattering, and the embroidered sunflowers were adorable. As she tied its white ribbons around her neck, she thought about accessories and shoes. She turned to her closet, and looked around for a special box. She grinned when she found it, and opened it up to find a pair of white wedges, another gift. She sifted through her jewelry box, until she found a pair of pearl earrings. A present for her birthday. She pulled out a wide, white headband to keep her hair from her eyes. Pulling open her drawers, Amelia took out a small white purse and pomegranate lip gloss. She put some on, making her lips taste sweet and look redder, then put it in her bag. As she walked towards the door, she picked up a white parasol. Making her way out of the dorms, the girl giggled as she realized she was wearing all of her friend's gifts. Walking out the front door, she found her date waiting.

His hand ran through his strawberry blond hair, and his brown eyes were nervous. In his hands, he held a small bouquet of flowers. It was so sweet, Amelia couldn't resist teasing him a bit. She snuck up behind him, then leaned over his shoulder.

"Hey, Terry."

"Wah!" he jumped, then faced her with a nervous chuckle, "T-that wasn't very nice, Amelia."

"Sorry, I had the opportunity." she giggled.

He took a breath to calm his nerves. He offered her the flowers.

"These are for you."

"Aw, thank you! They're really pretty."

He finally gave her his usual smile. Terrance offered his arm, and without hesitation, she took it. Together, the pair walked to the town. They ate lunch at a cafe, and they got dessert from a sweets shop. Amelia smiled when she thought about how jealous her roommate would be when she found out. Then, Terrance took her to a new flower shop.

 _That's right. He really loves flowers and gardening._

Looking around, they checked out all the shop had. One plant caught her eye. It had tons of tiny purple flowers that covered many tiny stalks, and she picked it up to show her date.

"Somehow, this reminded me of you." she told him.

A light blush danced across his cheeks. He scratched his cheek as he told her its meaning.

"It r-represents immortal love, you know."

"Oh!" she squeaked, and gave a shy smile, "W-well, then it only supports what I said."

Now his face was tomato red. As he stood there, stuttering, Amelia went and bought it. As he started trying to pay her back for it, she handed it over.

"For you."

His eyes widened, then a smile broke across his face.

"Alright, then hang on."

He turned around and looked through the different flowers. He pulled out a pink ambrosia, and took it to the counter. After paying for it, he gave it to her. As they walked out the door, he avoided answering her questions about its meaning. They headed back to the academy so they wouldn't miss curfew. Terrance walked her up to the girls' dorm, and Amelia smiled brightly. As she turned to head into the dorm, the boy stopped her.

"Hey, Amelia? You still want to know what the ambrosia flower means, right?"

"Yes," she nodded, leaning towards him.

He gave a mischievous smile.

"Reciprocated love."

Before she had a chance to respond, Terrance leaned in and kissed her cheek. Amelia's face was bright red as she stared at him.

"Lets have another date soon," he said quietly, "Goodnight, Amelia."

A shy smile touched her lips.

"Lets," she nodded, "Sweet dreams, Terrance."

He smiled back, then left for the boys' dorm. The girl giggled at how he kept looking back, and only until he was out of sight, did she go into the dorm. She skipped up the steps, sighing dreamily as she went into her room. Her roommate smiled at her, but didn't say anything as she brushed her hair. Amelia fell back onto her bed, the ambrosia on her bedside table.  
She couldn't wait for their next date.


	14. Big Brother - Klaus

Klaus sat down in his chair. He started grading papers, and about an hour in, someone knocked on the door. He called for them to enter, and a girl with short, rust colored hair shuffled through the door.

"Um, Professor Velantine wanted me to drop off some papers."

"Bring them over."

He didn't bother looking up as she set them down. However, even after a few minutes had passed, she was still standing there. With a sigh, Klaus looked up, only to find the girl was staring at a picture on his desk.

"Did you need something?"

The girl jumped and shook her head.

"It's just... Well, I guess this is the first time I've seen Tiny Elias."

Klaus snorted in amusement at her description. Yes, on his desk was a photograph of Klaus, his older brother, Nicholas, and his younger brother, Elias. It was one of the rare photos of the three all together without it being a formal picture. In it, they all had messy hair and were covered in dirt from a duel gone wrong. Elias' face was covered in snot and tears as he tried to sop his crying.

* * *

 _"I challenge you, Nicholas!" a twelve year old Klaus exclaimed as he glared at his brother._

 _"I just got back from the academy," the oldest of the Goldstein children sighed, "and you're already trying to pick a fight?"_

 _Klaus snorted._

 _"Has your time at the academy made you a coward? Come on, then! Rise to the challenge!"_

 _Nicholas groaned, then wore an exasperated smile._

 _"Klaus, it wouldn't be fair. I have an advantage with skill and practice."_

 _Klaus drew back. He furrowed his brow, trying to think of some way to even the odds. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a six year old Elias petting Rudolf, Klaus' dog._

 _"Elias! Get over here!"_

 _At his order, the little boy sprang up and hurried over._

 _"Yes, Laus?"_

 _The boy cringed._

 _"It's Klaus. And I need you to help me duel Nicholas here, alright?"_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because! I can't fight him alone!"_

 _Elias thought for a moment, then smiled._

 _"Okay, Laus!"_

* * *

Klaus heard a light gasp. He looked up and found Ana staring at him in shock.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

He sighed.

"You're face says everything. What is it?"

She shuffled her feet.

"... You smiled. You looked... a bit like Elias, and I wasn't expecting it..."

"We _are_ brothers."

"I know!"

Looking up at the girl, Klaus was struck by an idea. He stood up, catching her off guard. As he walked over to his book shelf, he offered her tea, which she politely accepted. He handed her the book he was looking for, then went to get them both tea.

 _I am a gentleman, though many seem to forget it._

He handed her a cup, and she quietly thanked him. He nodded, then opened up the book. Ana's eyes widened as she realized it was not a book, but a photo album.

"There are many photos of 'Tiny Elias' in here," he informed her, "Here, like this one."

He pointed to a picture of an eight year old Elias sitting on a large horse. He looked absolutely terrified, as he held the reigns with a death grip. He was looking at someone off camera, in the middle of shouting for help. In the distance, the blur of their mother could be seen as she rushed to rescue her youngest child.

Ana could barely suppress her laughter.

Klaus snickered as he recounted the story for her.

* * *

 _"What are we doing?" asked Elias, furrowing his brow._

 _"Trust us," Nicholas smirked, "Mother will see how grown up you are."_

 _"Yes," Klaus nodded, "Perhaps she won't coddle you so much."_

 _"W-well, I suppose I would like that."_

 _"Then here," the older brothers smiled, guiding him to the stables, "the first step is knowing how to ride a horse."_

 _Before Elias could say a word, Nicholas ordered a stable boy to get his white stallion. Klaus held his younger brother in place, keeping him from escaping. Working together, they got Elias onto the horse. The horse was not in the mood for a ride, and made his opinion known._

* * *

Ana freely laughed as she imagined the situation.

"Oh, what's that one?" she asked.

The picture she pointed to was one of him teaching Elias.

* * *

 _An eighteen year old Klaus was instructing his younger brother on how to cast a healing spell._

 _"You need emphasis on the ah sound. San-A-tio AU-ra."_

 _Elias nodded, using a stick to mimic his brother's motions. Klaus was careful to go slow, so his brother could see where the wrist flicked._

 _"Want to test it?"_

 _Elias looked at him in confusion. Klaus smirked, then pulled out his pocket knife. Elias had started to panic, but couldn't stop his older brother cutting open his own finger. Klaus suppressed a hiss of pain so Elias wouldn't worry any further._

 _"Come on, now. It hurts, Elias."_

 _"B-but," Elias shook his head and took a deep breath._

 _Readying his wand, he recited the spell._

 _" **Sanatio Aura!** "_

 _A cool breeze winded around Klaus' finger. Before his eyes, the wound sealed itself and left no trace. Klaus smiled at his younger brother._

 _"Bravo, Elias, bravo."_

* * *

Ana smiled widely. They continued this for a while. She would point out a picture of her beloved, and he would summarize the events around it. Before they knew it, an hour had passed. Jumping up, Ana apologized and thanked him.

"Wait," Klaus said, stopping her from rushing out the door, "pick a photo and I'll make you a smaller copy."

"Really?! Thanks!"

She ran to look at the pictures. After a few moments, she made her choice. Klaus nodded, approving of her selection. He cast a spell and gave her a copy the size of a playing card.

"Thanks so much!" she grinned as she rushed out the door.

The picture she'd chosen was one of Klaus' favorites. It was a picture of Elias, maybe six years old, quietly playing in a puddle while wearing a cute baby blue jacket. He wore a happy, but calm smile as he stared at the water in wonder.

* * *

 _"Hold on, Klaus," Nicholas stopped him, "Look at him!"_

 _He pointed at their youngest brother, who was kicking his feet in one of the puddles. It had just finished raining and they'd gone outside for lessons._

 _"Well, I guess it's his first time getting to play in one," Klaus mused._

 _"He's adorable."_

 _Klaus offered no commentary. Rather, he was quiet as he gave an order to one of the servants. It didn't take long for them to return with a camera. Klaus picked it up and took a picture._

 _"Mother and Father would be upset that we're letting him get dirty."_

 _Elias looked happier than he had in while._

 _"It can be our secret."_

 _"Agreed."_

 _Elias looked up at his older brothers with an adorable smile, kicking the water for them to see._


	15. Notes - Amelia & Terrance

Amelia sighed and rubbed her head. She hated history.

 _How many times am I going to have to hear about how Gedonelune came to be? The least they could do is give us new information!_

With a sigh, she copied down some more notes. The professor droned on and on, his back facing the students. Most of the class was slacking off, some were even sleeping. Amelia fought the urge to yawn. She hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night. The snoring of the girl next to her was beginning to lull Amelia to sleep. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier, and just as she was about to give in, a small note fluttered up to her. Amelia tilted her head. She glanced at the professor. When she was certain he wouldn't turn around, she opened it.  
Inside was a poorly drawn version of the professor with an exaggerated mouth. Amelia snickered as it disappeared in a burst of light. She carefully glanced around the classroom and found Terrance trying to hold back a smile. Grinning, Amelia pulled out one of her blank magic notes and sketched a drawing of the professor with an exaggerated mouth that was shouting "Blah blah blah!". She wrote Terrance's name on the back, and sent the note on its way. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy chuckle and write something down. Soon enough, another note arrived. This time, it portrayed the exaggerated professor lecturing a snoring version of herself with wild orange hair and bright pink lips.

 _So that's how he wants to play?_

Amelia smirked, her competitive nature rising to the surface. She doodled the same image, with the addition of Terrance, with ridiculously large eyes. As soon as she finished, she sent it. It didn't take long for the boy to reply. It was nearly the same image, except Tiny Terrance was winking at Tiny Amelia, who had hearts for eyes. The girl rolled her eyes with a smile. This time, she drew Terrance with heart eyes and a kiss mark on his cheek. This time when the boy received the note, he blushed.

 _W-Why is he reacting like that?_

Feeling shy, Amelia turned back to her notes.  
However, another note appeared before her. Unfolding it, the girl blushed at what she found. Inside was Tiny Terrance offering a large heart to Tiny Amelia. Just as she took out on of her notes to reply, a stick smacked down on her desk. Amelia shrieked and jumped.  
The professor glared at her.

"Amelia Nile, Terrance Deckards. Since you two have decided to use my class to socialize, you can do a make up assignment." When the other students began snickering, the professor raised an eyebrow. "The same goes for anyone who fell asleep or decided not to pay attention."

A chorus of "boo"s responded. Amelia sighed, but when she caught the boy's eye, she felt a little better.  
The assignment would be a good excuse to spend time together.


	16. Drifting Apart - Luca

**In this oneshot, Idette and Luca are not buddies, just boyfriend and girlfriend.**

* * *

 _All good things come to an end,_  
 _Even the gifts that God sends,_

 _Like her, the angel He sent from above_  
 _who was the one person I truly loved._

 _She changed everything and made my life worthwhile._  
 _She was the only one who could make me smile._

 _She really doesn't understand how much she means._  
 _I'll never be as happy as I've been._

 _She was my heart and my soul,_  
 _She filled me with joy and made me whole._

 _She was my world, my greatest treasure._  
 _I loved her so much that it couldn't be measured._

 _I remember every kiss and touch._  
 _All our memories I miss so much._

 _I wish we could go back in time,_  
 _When I was hers and she was mine._

* * *

Idette stood still, waiting outside her dorm. She wore a pale blue dress, its style and color matching the feelings in her heart.

 _One last time. One last day. I'll make it as nice and fun as possible for him._

She hadn't even brought Lizette with her. Amelia was taking care of her. Her roommate knew what would happen, even before Idette had told her. Looking up at the sky, the girl with pale purple hair tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"What's up?"

She had to wait a few moments before she looked at him.

"You're late she huffed," she huffed.

"Sorry, sorry," Luca chuckled, "I overslept."

 _With every date, you're getting later, you know._

She won't speak that thought aloud. They'd argued about it before. Despite her silence, Luca seemed to know what she was thinking. Though his emerald eyes flickered away from her gaze, she saw it. The annoyed look he was trying to hide.

"Let's go."

"Alright."

They walked out of the academy, their hands not close enough to even brush up against one another.

* * *

 _I'd always protect her and let nothing harm her._  
 _How ironic it was though that she was my armor._

 _She always made me feel so secure._  
 _No matter what went wrong, she always had a cure._

 _With her I felt absolutely no fear,_  
 _But now I'm scared of anything that comes near._

 _She healed me and put me back together,_  
 _So I held on to her; she was my tether._

* * *

"So, where should we go first?" Luca asked.

 _It's your day. Though I don't think we have the same places in mind._

"Where ever you want," Idette replied.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, but doesn't mention the look in her eyes or the tone of her voice.

"I want to pick up some art supplies."

She nodded and they headed to the art shop.

As he looked through the supplies, Idette hung around the entrance. She had never been a huge fan of paint or bright colors. Luca was. All of his creations were bright and full of life. Though she could never tell him, the most she ever thought of them was that they were pretty to look at. Try as she might, she could never feel any real emotion or connection to them. She had really tried.  
He wasn't much different. She wrote eloquent letters and papers, but he was always bored by them. He had never flat out said it, but she could tell.

 _We're so... different. They say opposites attract, but if the people involved are too different, they begin to repel._

She noticed how he glanced at a particular paint set. It was expensive, and Idette knew he probably didn't have the money. There was no logical way he could. When he'd moved on from the aisle, she picked it up. She managed to buy it without catching his attention. Lately, it was something easy for her to avoid.

"Let's go eat."

"Sounds good."

* * *

 _Sadly, she suddenly cut the rope,_

 _And with it went my happiness and hope._

 _The spell had finally been broken_  
 _As I realized I had awoken._

 _It had all just been a dream,_  
 _No matter how real it may have seemed._

 _Everything I felt had been an illusion,_  
 _Explained by the way it left me in shock and confusion._

* * *

She wouldn't have known if she were eating from a royal feast or garbage from the street; it was all flavorless to her. Idette felt sick to her stomach. The sun was beginning to set. The day was coming to an end. And she was running out of time. Looking up, she found the boy toying with his food. He didn't seem hungry either.

"You shouldn't play with your food."

He just sighed and rolled his eyes. Neither wanted to order dessert. They just gathered their things and walked out. The sat down by the fountain, silently sitting as the sun continued to sink.

* * *

 _My best dream became my worst nightmare._

 _She vanished while she was right there._

 _She left me to struggle on my own._  
 _She left me stranded, isolated, and all alone._

 _I had to wake up and realize_  
 _That the only real truth are real lies._

* * *

What felt like hours passed between them. Once Idette was certain she could speak without her voice shaking, she told him.

"Luca. I think we should... end this."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him flinch.

"Before you say anything, listen to me. It's not anything... you've done. It's not your fault. We're just too..."

"Different," he finished.

Somehow that hurt more than she had expected.

"Is there anything I can do to make you stay?" he asked.

That was something she'd prepared for.

"I'm sorry, but no. We... have different desires. Both our short-term plans and long-term plans are different. Some day, I want to get married. You've said yourself that you don't. I want good grades, but you don't care. I know what I want to do, but you're just 'going where the wind takes you'. I... I want to be with someone who had more... tangible plans, with some direction. I don't think there's anything... _bad_ about how you want to live, but I just can't..."

"Be with that kind of person."

Idette took a shaky breath.

"I... My love for you... feels like its fading. You've never once said that you've loved me, even though I've said it to you. I just... I want to be with someone who I have a real future with... No, that's not how I mea-"

"It's fine."

His tone said otherwise. She looked at him, worry filling her heart. He sounded so cold, so distant.  
So empty.

"I-I'm sorry," Idette continued, "I just-"

"I feel the same."

She stared at him. He continued.

"I've felt it, too, you know. You've started to study more than spend time with me. You spend your days in the library rather than hanging out. I tried to be around you when you work, but either you ignore me or scold me for distracting you. I've even left during one of your study sessions, and you didn't even notice."

Guilt made the girl's stomach churn.

 _No. I want things to end on a good note._

"Which is why it's time to stop. Whatever was between us, it's-"

"Faded away," they finished in sync.

If her heart didn't hurt so much, she might have laughed. Luca managed to give her a bitter half smile.

 _Are... his eyes watery?_

That was something she couldn't bear to see. Standing up, she brushed off her dress. Turning to face him, she gave him the bag of paints.

"Due to some error, it turns out I'm in the wrong class anyway. Tomorrow I'll be in Serpenteer, so we won't be seeing each other very often, and if we do, it'll only be in passing."

She saw him clench his fist.

"So that's it?" he quietly asked, "Just a clean break? After the tower, what I've learned, what we've been through?"

 _Please don't do this._

"In less than two weeks, I thought I'd found the love of my life. I was foolish and naive, and I'm sorry that I've hurt you because of it. However," she stopped to take a deep breath, "we shouldn't prolong this any more than we have to. If we don't love each other, the situation could quickly and easily turn toxic. That's why we should end this now, while we're still on good terms."

The green-haired boy didn't speak. He didn't move his gaze from the ground. When he didn't reach out to take the gift from her, Idette sadly sighed. She set it down next to him.

"Goodbye, Luca. Thank you for everything you've taught me. I wish you the best of luck."

* * *

 _But I can truly tell her, "You're the sweetest dream I ever had,"_  
 _And for that, I can only be grateful and glad._

 _To be happy again, I'll have to relive the past._  
 _Hold on to every memory for as long as they last,_

 _To look back at how I used to feel,_  
 _To remember them as if they were real._

* * *

With those words left to hang in the air, the girl turned around and left. She took large determined steps, refusing to look back.

She would move on, and so would he. If they didn't, they would have to stay in the past, dwelling on memories that would remain just that, memories. Idette was not one to remain idle. She would let her wounds heal, then get up and move on, stronger and wiser than before.  
She could only hope that Luca would do the same.

* * *

 _Even though it's over, l'll have to pretend,_

 _Because all good things must come to an end._

* * *

The sky had turned dark by the time Luca stood up. Grabbing the bag, he slowly made his way up the path, back to the academy. He'd just barely made it before one of the professors closed the gates.  
For once he completely ignored his dorm-mates, nor did he even acknowledge Elias and his complaints. Instead, he simply trudged up to his room, dropped his bag, and flopped down on his bed.  
He didn't move for a very long time.

* * *

 **Okay, some explanation for this might be nice.  
**

 **First, the poem is called _All Good Things Come to an End_ , by Greg Thung.**

 **I know I only wrote one story about Idette and Luca, but I realized something. She is exactly the type of girl he is _not_ attracted to. Besides, I just wasn't feeling her character. As cold as it may sound, I'd find writing about her as, well, kind of boring (I'm sorry Idette!). She's a smart and logical person, so most of the issues the game's MC runs into would be efficiently solved by Idette. Her character isn't a bad person, per say, but she would make a better side character.**

 **Now, I'm sure that at least some readers will be concerned about poor Luca, but never fear! I have come up with a character with a richer personality to pair up with him. In fact, I've decided to make a whole new story for her! However, until I've worked out what her story will be, Idette will remain on the character page.**

 **Speaking of which, the character page has been updated. You'll find that Vincent now has a buddy. Woohoo!**

 **Anyway, sorry for making such a long note.**

 **Please leave reviews and requests.**

 **Have a nice day/night!**


	17. Winter Holiday Party - Preface

**Just some Winter Holiday oneshots/AUs. They all take place before any of the buddies are together as couples (save for Idette and Luca).  
The next few chapters are about the Winter Holiday party.**

* * *

Elyon stood by the door, shyly fiddling with her dress. It was the same shade of blue as her eyes and had a puffed skirt.

"Aw, Elyon!" Stella cooed, "You look adorable!"

"T-Thank you..."

The black haired girl wore a flowy red skirt with a matching cropped top. In her hands, she had a dark fur cape. Another girl walked over. Her platinum blonde hair was elaborately put up and her dress matched her tangerine eyes.

"I knew it would suit her," sighed Cecilia, "and here's the last touch."

She took out a headband with a sparkling snowflake. She used it to push Elyon's bangs from her eyes.

"There. Now you look presentable."

"Thank you..."

With that, the trio headed into the ballroom. It was decorated for the winter holidays and all the students were dressed up. Most would be leaving within the next few days for the break.

"I'm going to find some of my other friends," Cecilia told them, readjusting the grip on her purse, "so I'll see you later."

"Bye!" Stella waved.

"Thank you for the dress and headband!" Elyon called after her.

The two made their way to the snack table. As Elyon looked at the different sweets, she noticed Stella looking around with a concerned expression on her face. Tilting her head, she asked what was wrong.

"Oh, I'm trying to find Luca. He and Idette broke up the other day. I asked him to come so I could help cheer him up, but I can't find him," she explained.

"You can go walk around. I'll be fine. If I see him, I'll tell him you're looking for him."

"Are you sure?"

Elyon nodded. After a few moments of hesitation, Stella started her search.

* * *

Ana fidgeted around in her silver dress.

"Gah! I feel so..."

"Girly?" Esme finished, pulling at the strings of her pale green dress.

"Oh, but you both look so nice!" Andromeda reassured them.

As Ana kept grumbling, Esme looked at spellsinger skeptically.

"That's easy for you to say," she snorted, "you have a nice figure and pretty face."

Andromeda giggled shyly.

"You think I'm pretty?"

Esme just huffed.

"Anyway, there's going to be food, right?" Ana piped up.

The other two nodded. While Ana and Esme were feeling awkward, Andromeda was growing impatient. After waiting a few more minutes, she grabbed her two friends' arms and dragged them inside. When the three got inside, any and all complaining ceased. They were too busy looking around at the dressed up students and decorations.

"... Maybe it won't be so bad," Esme murmured.

"... At least we can hang out with our friends," Ana conceded.

"That's the spirit!" Andromeda practically sang.

"Hey, you're going to be up on stage with Joel and the choir later, right?" Ana asked after a few moments.

"You remembered?" Andromeda blinked at them.

"Well, yeah," Esme mumbled, her cheeks turning pink, "we're your friends..."

"And we're looking forward to it!" Ana chirped.

The spellsinger smiled, but before she could say another word, one of the girls from the choir called her over. Bidding a quick farewell, she hurried off.

"I'm gonna head over to the couches," Esme announced.

"Oh, I'll join you in a bit," Ana told her, "I just saw Vince."

"Alright, later then."

"Later!"

* * *

Sabrina looked into the bathroom mirror. She sighed and glanced back at Cherry.

"My makeup is even, right?" she asked.

"Sure is, love," the other girl smiled back.

"Thank you!"

She stuck her dark pink lipstick back into her clutch. She took a deep breath and turned to her friend. Cherry chuckled and offered her arm. The pair walked out into the hall. They talked about various things as they made their way to the party.

"I still can't believe we both made it to the academy," Cherry said.

"Of course _I_ did," huffed Sabrina, "but as for _you_..."

"Oh, you hush!"

They giggled as they walked. The sudden sound of rapidly clicking heels caught the girls' attention. In the distance, they saw a blonde donning an orange dress. She soon made her way up to them, an annoyed expression on her face.

"I was waiting for the two of you!" Cecilia huffed.

"Sorry, doll," Cherry apologized, "but the princess here took forever with her makeup."

"We're just fashionably late," Sabrina stated.

Cecilia stared at her for a while before sighing.

"Fine, I understand. It looks nice by the way."

"What do you expect? I _am_ an artist!"

Cherry laughed at their interaction before linking her other arm through the blonde's.

"Now, I know you'll be making your rounds with Klaus," she began, "and I know Sabrina will be doing announcements, but let's try to spend _some_ time together."

"Of course!" Sabrina nodded.

"That was the plan," Cecilia agreed.

With smiles upon their faces, the girls made their way to the party.


	18. Winter Holiday Party - Luca

Luca leaned against the wall, watching his peers dance and laugh. Though he tried not to, he couldn't stop himself from looking around for her.

 _Ah, there she is._

Her light purple hair was being held back by an indigo headband. Her dark violet dress was modest but flattering. She was talking to her new Serpenteer classmates. When she began laughing with them, he looked away.

 _This is a first. I'm the one being bitter over a breakup._

Just as a self-deprecating smile began to form, his vision was overtaken by a slice of strawberry cake. He drew back, surprised, and found Elyon looking up at him.

"It's the last one," she told him, "and you like strawberries, don't you?"

He couldn't help laughing. Her blushing didn't make it any less amusing.

"Oh, just take it, won't you?" she huffed.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, "thanks."

"It's no problem. Oh, and Stella's looking for you."

He nodded and she began to walk away with a quiet farewell. She turned around and gave a short wave, to which he replied with one of his own. Then she disappeared into the crowd.

He looked back up as he ate. He happened to catch sight of Idette taking a cup from one of the boys in her new class. The cake began losing its flavor.

A sudden quiet clanging of metal caught his attention. Looking at the table by his side, he saw the metal forks warping and moving. They eventually formed three tiny figures that resembled himself, Elias, and Yukiya. As he watched, the tiny Luca stepped forward from the middle and began dancing. The other two figures followed close behind, and soon enough, it was a synchronized dance routine. As he began laughing, a sudden soft singing accompanied their dances and the napkins lifted up, taking on an almost feminine form. They began dancing with the metal men and Luca had to set down his plate so he wouldn't drop it.  
When their routine was done, the forks and napkins went back to their original forms. He looked around and found Ana and Persephone high-fiving.

As the music changed, he heard some familiar stuttering. He didn't want to look. He knew Idette was dancing with the guy who'd given her the drink.

 _I'm acting so pathetically._

"I'm standing right here, and all you can do is stare at someone else," a girl suddenly sniffed.

Luca turned and found Sabrina standing nearby.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know you so desperately wanted my attention," Luca replied with a smirk.

She rolled her eyes as she opened up her clutch. She took something out and tossed it to him. Luca caught and his eyes widened. It was an expensive ink pen, perfect for sketching.

"I already had one, but someone gave me another. I figured you'd want it. No point in having two of the same thing," Sabrina explained, though her cheeks were tinged pink.

"Your kindness knows no bounds."

"It's only because we're in the same art class," she told him as she walked away.

He smiled as he stuck the pen into his pocket. He looked around and a mischievous smirk formed on his lips.

 _Things look nice._  
 _Would be a shame if something were to happen._

With that thought, Luca made his way to the punch bowl. He leaned against the wall as he debated on what to do.

"How about this?" Cherry popped up next to him, holding up a bottle of gold liquid.

"And 'this' is?"

"A potion that makes whoever drinks it more bold and brave. Not too powerful, though. We don't want anything drastic to happen."

He smirked.

"Alright. Since I didn't plan anything, lets do that."

He took the bottle from her and poured it into the bowl. As he snuck back over, a sudden voice interrupted the pair's snickering.

"And that is?" Cecilia asked, crossing her arms.

"A harmless prank," Luca shrugged.

The girl raised an eyebrow.

"Really, it is. You know I wouldn't do anything that would cause any real harm," Cherry added.

Cecilia closed her eyes and thought for a while. Then, she opened her eyes with a sigh of defeat.

"I didn't see anything," she stated before walking away.

Cherry sighed in relief before saying a quick goodbye. Then, she grabbed a cup of the punch and hurried off to find someone. Luca snickered as he made his way to the couches. He saw a familiar face and sat down next to them.

"Hey, Esme," he greeted the girl, "nice dress."

"Shut up," the girl snorted, eyeing him from the side.

"That's not nice! My heart's already been broken."

A smirk formed on her lips.

"You want me to do what I do for the guys back home whenever they're feeling down?"

"Sure."

Esme leaned over, smiled...  
Then slugged him in the arm.

Luca winced and held the spot she'd just punched. She stood up and straightened her dress.

"You have to be feeling better by the time that bruise heals, or else I'll give you another one."

"What the hell, Esme?" he chuckled through the pain.

She smiled at him before disappearing into the crowd. He was still chuckling when another person took the seat next to him.

"I finally found you!" Stella sang.

"So you did," Luca smiled back, "took you long enough."

"Oh, hush. Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Luca thought for a moment before answering.

"Better. You know, maybe I should get my feelings stomped all over more often. Girls seem to dig a guy who's in emotional distress."

Stella gave him a sympathetic look.

"I know the pain... sort of. But the important thing is that you're feeling better now."

"Yup. I'm getting spoiled, after all."

Stella chuckled. Out of the corner of his eye, Luca saw a certain blue-haired boy watching them. He quickly looked away and walked off. Luca sighed.

 _Stella, we're really not in the same boat._

"I think you ought to go talk to Yukiya. I'd imagine he's starting to feel uncomfortable," Luca told her.

"Yukiya?" Stella repeated, then shook her head, "but what about you?"

"Really, I'm fine. Go on."

She looked at him for a moment before smiling. She reached out and hugged him before getting up.

"Goodbye, Luca. I'll see you after break."

"I'll see you then."

He watched as she walked off. Once she had vanished from sight, he leaned back into the couch.  
The pain in his heart had lifted, ever so slightly.


	19. Winter Holiday Party - Klaus

Cecilia sighed. She didn't want to get in trouble with her buddy and prefect, but she also knew that Luca wasn't doing well after the break up.

 _So long as I play dumb, I should be fine... Right?_

"Excuse me."

The girl jumped at the sound of a guy's voice. Trying to hide the surprise on her face, she turned to look at the person. He was from another class, not bad looking, but not very memorable either. She offered him a pleasant smile.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I just wanted to say you look beautiful in that dress."

"Thank you."

She _did_ think her orange taffeta dress' plunging neckline. She _didn't_ like that it was where the boy's eyes were glued.

 _I picked this color to bring out my eyes._

"Do you maybe want to dance?" the boy asked.

"I'm afraid I'm helping the prefects with supervising."

"Come on, just one dance?"

"No thank you."

Cecilia stepped back, trying to end the conversation. The boy stepped forward.

"What's the point in wearing a dress like that if you're not going to dance with a guy? You're clearly looking for attention."

 _My dress is perfectly appropriate, you jerk._

"Regardless, I am not dancing with you," Cecilia told him.

"Why not?" I'm-"

"Completely boring to look at, for starters." she snapped at him, "Which usually doesn't mean all that much to me, but your personality is a turn-off."

"Why you-!"

"Is there a problem here?" growled a new voice.

They both turned to find Klaus looming over them. Cecilia took this as an opportunity. She slipped up next him, snuggling up with a hand on his chest. Catching her drift, he laid his hand on her waist. Her heart skipped a beat. Klaus glared at the boy.

"Now, is there a problem here?" the prefect repeated.

"N-No," the boy gulped, backing away, "I was actually on my way out."

"Goodbye, then," Cecilia replied.

"I hope you had a nice time," Klaus added.

They watched him hurry over to the door. Once he was out of sight, they stepped away from each other.

"Thank you," Cecilia sighed, "I was starting to get worried."

"It's no problem," Klaus replied, then smirked, "who would've thought you'd attract so much attention?"

Cecilia raised an eyebrow.

"I'd hardly consider one boy 'so much attention'."

Klaus sighed.

"Then you are even more oblivious than I thought."

The girl huffed and turned away. As she began walking away, Klaus started moving up next to her. Cecilia raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"As I said," he sniffed, "you're oblivious."

She huffed again and quickened her pace. She nearly growled when he did the same.

"May I ask why you hate me so much?" he questioned.

"I don't hate you. I just find you..."

"Find me?"

"... Irritating," she finished.

"Well, you're not the most pleasant person either."

She glared up at him. Even in heels, Cecilia only reached his nose. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What exactly about me is irritating?"

"Well," Cecilia began, "you're too proud and confident."

"But I can back it up, can't I?"

"Yes, but that only irritates me more."

He sighed and shook his head.

"Then what is it you expect me to do?"

"Try not to look down on me so much."

"I don't look down on you."

 _What?_

She drew back and looked up at him.

"Yes you do. It's because I'm bad at magic and I don't come from money."

Klaus groaned as pinched his nose bridge.

"No, I don't look down on you," he sighed, "While it's true that you're awful at magic, I respect the fact that you don't give up. That's also why I'm giving you lessons. As for your social class, I couldn't care less."

"What?" She stared up at him.

"I prefer to judge people on their words or actions, not how much money they have."

 _Oh..._

"Is that why you've been so rude to me? Because of the image you hold of people from the upper class?"

Her cheeks reddened with embarrassment and shame.

"I... I'm sorry," she apologized.

"So long as you know now."

They had stopped walking at some point. Cecilia began wringing her hands, feeling uncomfortable. Klaus just silently watched her. After a few moments, he sighed and stepped closer.

"Would you like to dance?"

She stared at his outstretched hand in surprise.

"In the name of forgiveness and a new start," Klaus told her.

Biting her lip, Cecilia thought for a moment. She hesitantly placed her hand in his. A smug smile formed on his lips as he led her into the dancing crowd. He placed one hand on her waist and she placed hers on his shoulder. He lifted her other hand and they began to softly sway.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he whispered in her ear.

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat as a blush lit up her face. She made a small coughing noise before she looked up at him.

"I look forward to us getting along better," she stated.

"As do I," he replied.

He kissed her hand and she gave him a warm smile.


	20. Winter Holiday Party - Amelia & Terrance

Amelia twirled in her yellow gown and smiled. It was the prettiest dress she'd ever seen, and she'd been lucky that the dress had been a perfect fit. A voice sighed behind her. Vivian had her hands on her hips, her lavender dress bouncing from the movement.

"You're gonna mess up your hair," she sniffed, "And I'm not gonna fix it if you do."

"Oh, come on. Don't be crabby!" Amelia giggled.

"We need to hurry or we'll be late," Harriet stated.

"You sure you're not just anxious to see Zack?" Vivian questioned.

The tall girl blushed, but didn't acknowledge the comment.

"Isn't Del waiting for you?" she retorted.

Vivian blushed and readjusted her grip on her purse. Amelia giggled.

"Come on, let's go!" Vivian huffed, marching out the door.

Amelia and Harriet exchanged knowing looks before walking out into the hall. They were all excited to meet up with their dates, but no one was ready to admit it out loud. Soon enough, they found their dates and went their separate ways. Amelia smiled at Terrance.

"Food or a dance?" she asked.

"Um... A dance? Then food?... And another dance?" he suggested.

"Sounds great to me!"

Terrance smiled as she led him to the dance floor. It was a faster paced song, and they had fun as they goofed around. He twirled her around a few times, and Amelia took his hands and spun both herself and him around. They laughed and joked and had a lot of fun.  
After a while, they got hungry. As they approached the punch bowl, they were nearly ran into Luca, who was hurrying away from the punch table. Shrugging, they grabbed some punch and snacks. They sat down on one of the couches.

"Gods, this place looks neat, doesn't it?" Amelia asked.

"Yeah. The Emperor does his job thoroughly," Terrance agreed.

"You think he's dancing this time?"

"Dunno. He hasn't before, but..."

"But this time Cecilia is here," she finished.

The boy nodded with a smiled. As they continued talking, the girl felt a sudden warmth spreading throughout her chest. She felt a touch braver than normal and scooted closer to her date. He shyly smiled and moved closer.

 _We... We've been going on dates for a while, but... we haven't officially said we're dating..._

She inched her hand towards his. She kept talking as she nudged his hand. He blushed and carefully took her hand. The music began to slow down, and the students began dividing into couples. Amelia grinned and pulled Terrance to his feet. Caught of guard, he stumbled. Amelia caught him with a giggle, and led him to the dance floor. She placed his hands on her waist and wrapped her arms around his neck. As they began to sway, Terrance spoke up.

"You... You look so pretty," he quietly told her, "I feel a little shabby in comparison..."

"You look handsome! Well, I think you always do, but... you look almost like a prince now."

The boy's face turned bright red and he stared at the ground. It was so sweet, Amelia tightened her grip around him, pulling him closer. He stared at her in surprise, but Amelia just smiled.

"Hey, Terry?" she asked.

"Y-Yes?"

"You know that I like you, right? That I like you a lot?"

"I-I like you, too... a lot..."

Amelia smiled as her cheeks turned pink.

"Then could you close your eyes?"

"Huh? O-Oh! Um, yeah!"

When she was certain the boy's eyes were completely shut, she moved in and pressed her lips against his. He went stiff for a moment, then completely melted. He wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss. It seemed to last for only a moment and for an eternity, all at one time. When their lips parted, they shyly smiled at one another.

"Um... thanks."

Amelia burst out laughing at his awkward statement. Terrance groaned and dropped his head down on her shoulder in shame. It took the girl a while to regain her composure.

"Oh, Terry," she giggled, "Thank the gods you're so cute."

"Ugh... Please forget I said that! I felt like I should say something, but I didn't know what!"

"Hm... How about... 'Oh, Amelia, my dearest, my love! Stay with me forevermore!'"

Terrance laughed at her ridiculous suggestion. He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and quietly spoke.

"Okay... Amelia? Will you stay with me? Forever?"

She grinned.

"Forever and a day."

The words had barely made it past her lips before Terrance kissed her. Smiling, Amelia wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back.


	21. Winter Holiday Party - Vincent

Making her way off stage, Sabrina set to searching.

 _Where is he?_

She weaved in and out of the crowd. People were starting to turn toward the stage as Joel and Persephone began their duet. She fought the urge to bite her lip in frustration. She didn't want to ruin her lipstick.

 _There he is!_

A tall, well-built man was talking to a girl a year or two younger than Sabrina. As she made out short, rust colored hair, she figured it had to be Ana. The other girl saw her and grinned. Lightly punching the man's arm, she walked off.

"Vincent! I finally found you!" Sabrina cried, clinging onto his uninjured arm.

He jumped, clearly caught off guard.

"Gods, Sabrina! You nearly gave me a heart attack," he sighed, running a hand through his dark red locks, "and they're singing up there!"

 _Oops!_

"Aw, Vincent!" she whispered, "Someone like you shouldn't be snuck up on by some student!"

"You walk so silently. No other students are as quiet as you."

"But look!" she huffed, showing off her shoes, "I'm wearing heels! You should have heard me!"

 _But I made sure you didn't!_

He sighed as he glanced at her rose gold shoes. When he didn't say anything, she stepped back.

"Look! Don't I look like a princess?"

She showed off her dress. It was pale pink, with a poofed skirt that fell to the floor. She especially loved its sweetheart neckline. She would have twirled, but she didn't want to bother the other students who were watching the performance.

"Yes," her buddy nodded, "you look like a beautiful princess."

She blushed with a happy grin. That was all she needed to hear for the moment, so she held onto his arm as she watched the performance. Vincent sighed but couldn't help a small smile. The girl's lead and directed his attention to the singers up on stage.

Once the performance was over, the audience applauded. After giving a loud cheer, Sabrina turned to her companion.

"Well, looks like we'll be dancing next," she mused.

"Yup," Vincent agreed.

She fluttered her lashes, hoping her buddy would take the hint. When he just calmly watched the other students, Sabrina groaned.

"It sure looks fun, don't you think?" she pushed.

"Yeah. It's too bad I'm a terrible dancer."

"But it's all about having fun, right?"

He stopped to think. Sabrina's eyebrow twitched.

"Just ask me to dance!" she huffed.

He stared at her puffed, red cheeks and laughed. She glared up at him.

"Alright, alright. Sabrina, would you like to dance?" he asked, once he'd stopped.

"Yes," she hissed, "I would."

Vincent began chuckling again, and Sabrina only grew more annoyed.

He led her to the dance floor, but then stopped and looked around. The girl realized he was trying to figure out what to do. She gently took his hands and placed one on her waisf and the other was held out. She placed eer unoccupied hand on his shoulder and told him to mimic the steps of the others.

At first, it was going well. Sabrina began to daydream about beinga princess at a ball, dancing with her beloved.

"Ow!" She winced as Vincent stepped on her foot.

"Sorry! Are you alright?" her buddy questioned, looking worried.

"I'm fine!" she replied, putting on a happy smile,"let's just keep dancing."

He stepped on her toes five more times. Combined with her high heels and the weight of Vincent's feet, Sabrina's toes were burning with pain.

"Alright, that's enough," Vincent stated, "you're in serious pain now."

"No!" Sabrina cried, "I want to keep dancing!"

He frowned down at her. She stubbornly refused to leave. After a while, he realized she wasn't about to leave on her own. Swiping one hand under her knees and another around her shoulders, Vincent lifted her into the air. Sabrina gasped in shock as he carried her out of the ballroom. As he walked down the dark hall, she blushed.

"W-Where are we going?" she asked.

"The nurse."

The girl suppressed a groan.

 _So not romantic!_

When they walked through the door, the nurse jumped.

"Oh, you two scared me!" she sighed, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Sabrina answered, "he's just being overly cautious."

Vincent smiled at the nurse.

"I can take care of her," he said, "you were going somewhere, right?"

The nurse picked up her bag.

"Alright, then. The supplies are in the cabinets."

They watched as she left. When the door shut behind her, Vincent carried the girl to the bed. Sabrina's heart jumped as she was placed on the bed. With red cheeks, she watched as Vincent carefully took off her shoes and set them beside her. He was gentle as he held up her feet to inspect them. She was silent as he stood up and grabbed some gauze from the cabinet.

"It's probably going to hurt for you to walk, but you should be fine by the end of tomorrow," Vincent told her as he gingerly wrapped her red feet.

Sabrina just looked down at him. Sensing something was off, he looked up. He furrowed his brow when he saw the faraway look in her eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"... You're very kind..." she whispered after a few moments.

"Nah, I'm really not," Vincent replied with a self-deprecating smile, "I'm just taking responsibility for what I did."

Her usual aura returned. Smirking as she looked down at him, Sabrina scoffed.

"This doesn't make up for it."

Again, he frowned, though this time it wasn't out of concern.

"Then what do I do?" he asked.

Sabrina tapped her cheek as she thought. She let out a light gasp, as though she'd found her answer. With a smug smile, she looked back down at him.

"You have to take me out on a date. And I mean a nice one. All day."

He stared at her in complete shock.

"W-Why?"

"Because! We were supposed to be having fun tonight, dancing, eating delicious food, chatting. But now we're here and my feet hurt without me even getting to dance through the second song! I was really looking forward to this!"

He winced, a guilty look falling across his face.

"I really am sorry," he apologized.

"No more apologies!" Sabrina snapped, "You had better make our date even better than what I was hoping tonight would be. If you do that, we're all good."

He gazed up at her, a warm expression on his face.

"Alright."

"No, Vincent! You have to ask me out _on_ a date!"

He chuckled as she grew frustrated. He stood up and took her hand.

"Alright, Sabrina. Will you go out on a wonderfully, magical, fun-filled date?"

She tapped her cheek as she thought.

"I'll have to check my schedule."

"What?!"

She giggled as she looked up at him.

"I think I can make time."

He rubbed her hair, making a mess of it. She snapped at him for it, but he only laughed. Puffing out her cheeks as she straightened her obsidian locks, she grinned excitedly.

 _I'm going to get my knight!_


	22. Winter Holiday Party - Serge

"Snacks... Snacks... Snacks all for me," Esme quietly sang to herself, grabbing different foods.

They were all tiny servings, so she filled her plate and sat back down at the couches. Luca had already left, so she was by herself. To cover up her discomfort, she began eating.

 _Don't look at me... Don't look at me..._

Staring at the floor, she willed her body to turn invisible. She scanned the other students, looking for a familiar face.

"Esme!" a cute voice cried.

"Gah!" she squawked, whipping her head around.

Standing at the foot of the couch was Taffy. He stared up at her with his little button eyes. Setting down her plate, she picked up her buddy's familiar and set him down next to her.

"Me sorry," he apologized, "Me didn't want to scare you."

"S'alright." Esme shrugged, taking another bite.

"Master is looking for you," Taffy told her after a moment.

"Oh, is he?"

"Esme!"

Someone threw themselves down in the spot next to the girl. She nearly choked on the potato skin she had been eating. Once she'd regained her composure, she looked up. A young man with pink curly hair was beaming down at her.

"You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days," she grumbled.

"Whoops!" he laughed, then furrowed his brow as he stared at her plate.

"What is it?"

"What is that?" he asked.

She followed where his finger was pointing, then stared up at him in shock.

"Its a Brussels sprout."

"It looks icky," he gagged.

"... It's good for you."

Serge stared down at it skeptically. She sighed.

 _Maybe he should try one... I'm not letting him use my fork though._

She picked up one of the Brussels sprouts for him to try. He stared at it for a few moments.

"Go on. You might like it if you try it," Esme pushed.

He sighed and leaned down.

"What re you doing?!" she shrieked as she felt his lips on her fingers.

"I'm trying it like you said!"

"Why didn't you just take it from me?!"

"I thought you were trying to feed it to me!"

Esme stared up at him in silent shock. He was by far, the most bizarre person she'd ever met.

"You're really one of a kind, aren't you?" she muttered after a few moments.

"Haha, yeah. I've heard that before."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. He may have been unusual, but he was a good kind of unusual. Not that she'd ever be able to say it out loud. As she was drifting off into her own thoughts, Serge suddenly started grinning.

"Let's go dance!" he excitedly suggested.

"What?" Esme stared up at him in shock.

"I said we should dance!"

He took her hand in his, and took the plate from her. Setting it down for Taffy to guard, he pulled her to her feet.

"W-What is this all of a sudden?"

"You look so pretty, I thought you'd want to show off."

"I always wear pants, so this is weird. I... look weird," she mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"What?!" Serge cried, staring at her in shock, "That's not true at all! Esme you look so cute!"

The girl's face was practically on fire. Serge bit his lip as he looked down at her.

"You know, if you're really uncomfortable with it, we can stay here."

Esme stopped to think for a few moments. She didn't know how to dance, true, but the idea of it seemed... fun. Besides, her buddy wasn't the type of person to care about dancing and it _was_ supposed to be a party. She was also going to return home, and once she got there, she'd have a great deal of work to do.

 _Maybe..._

She stared at the ground as she lightly squeezed his hand. She was too embarrassed to say it out loud, so she just gave a short nod.

"Alright!" he whooped.

He readjusted his grip and pulled her along onto the dance floor. She squealed as he dragged her to the middle of the crowd. When he stopped, she grabbed the front of his shirt with both hands.

"Serge!" she hissed quietly, so no one would hear, "I really have no clue on how to dance!"

"Neither do I!" he laughed.

"Then why did you ask me?"

 _I thought I'd be okay if he was leading!_

He took hold of both her hands, his smile growing ever larger.

"Who cares? It's all about having fun!" He warmly look her in the eyes.

Something about his expression made her heart beat faster. Before she could even think of a response, he began spinning her around.

"Woah!" Esme squealed, having no choice but to go along with him.

They spun around and around, going faster and faster with each cycle. Serge began laughing as the world around them blurred. It began to feel like they were in a world of their own.

"Ahahaha!"

Esme couldn't help it. She began laughing alongside Serge.

"I'm -aha- getting dizzy! Haha!" she managed to say through giggles.

They slowly came to a stop. She held onto his shirt as her head spun. As she swayed, Serge placed his hands on her waist to steady her.

"You're out of your mind, you know," she sighed.

When he didn't say anything, she looked up at him with curiosity. She gulped at the serious look on his face. For the first time, he really did look like a young man, rather than a mischievous boy. Her cheeks began turning red.

"W-What is it?"

"You," he quietly began, "I've never seen you smile like that."

She lightly touched her lips.

 _Was I really that happy?_

His eyes followed her fingers.

"I've never seen you look so... mature," she told him, looking back up into his peach eyes.

They stared at each other for some time, neither saying a word.

Suddenly, Serge wrapped his arms around her waist. Without giving her a chance to question it, he lifted her high into the air as he spun her around. Esme squealed and clutched his shoulders, looking for some way to secure herself.

"What are you doing?!" she cried out.

"I wanna see you smile like that again!" he laughed back, a mischievous light dancing in his eyes.

"You're crazy!"

"But you like me anyway!"

The whole situation was so ridiculous, Esme couldn't help bursting out into laughter. When he saw the smile on her face, Serge began laughing with her as he carefully lowered her to the ground. When her feet touched the floor, they went to holding hands, swaying and twirling to the music. As they grew tired, they returned to the couch, only to find that Taffy had eaten what was left on the plate. As the familiar ran off to get her more, the buddies leaned back into their seats.

"To another year of crazy shenanigans," Esme sighed, holding up her little finger.

"To another year of amazing inventions," Serge added, wrapping his larger pinky finger around hers.

With their contract sealed, the pair went on laughing and talking through the night.


	23. Winter Holiday Party - Joel

Looking around, Elyon sighed bitterly. Sabrina was already up on stage, announcing the spellsingers' would be performing momentarily.

 _Drats! I wanted to speak with Joel before then!_

She watched as he and his partner took the stage. His black hair was neatly slicked back and his suit was pressed and ironed.

 _I wonder who managed to make him dress up so much. Elias, in all likelihood._

She giggled as she imagined them going back and forth. Suddenly, someone stepped in front of her. They managed to completely block her view, and the girl silently cursed her short height. She tried calling out to the student, but they either couldn't hear her, or they paid her no mind. Furrowing her brow, she set to weaving in and out of the crowd, trying to get closer so she could see.

"Spiraling and trembling  
The snowflakes tumble down  
Fluttering like angel wings  
Like diamonds on the ground  
Autumn leaves are gone now  
Winter winds blow cold."

A woman's honeyed voice flowed through the air.

 _She sounds lovely._

She made her way to a good spot just in time for Joel's part.

"Carollers and revellers  
Their songs are bittersweet  
The streets are full but they can't fill  
The emptiness in me."

Elyon sighed softly. Oh, how she loved his voice. As he looked across the audience, she silently willed him to look at her, even if it were for just a moment. He looked across the throng of students, until his gaze met hers. There it stopped, and she couldn't suppress a shy smile. Even when he sang with Andromeda, his gaze never left hers. It was so full of warmth, she couldn't tear her eyes away.

"They fall without a sound."

As the music faded out, the audience burst into applause. As Elyon was grinning up at him, clapping and cheering, she heard some girls behind her.

"They sound great together," one said.

"Yeah, they have great chemistry," the other agreed.

"Wouldn't they be an adorable couple?"

"Oh my god, they would be perfect!"

The girl froze.

 _Would they? I suppose they do get along... what say do I have in it? We're not even together..._

The thought did nothing to ease the ache on her heart. Rather, it made the pain worse. Before giving it any thought, Elyon soon found herself quickly walking towards the back stage entrance, where she had seen her buddy disappear to. She nearly collided with someone in her determination.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, looking up.

"Oh, no." Pierre shook his head. "It was entirely my fault."

"No, no. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

"No, it was my-"

"Hey do you think those two will start dating?" a girl's voice asked.

"The spellsingers? If they aren't already, they should," a boy agreed.

Both Pierre and Elyon stiffened. They exchanged glances before hurrying backstage.

"-ove getting to sing with another spellsinger. I wish there were more at the academy," Andromeda was saying.

"Yeah, then people wouldn't bother me so much," Joel agreed.

Clutching her dress, Elyon waited for their conversation to finish. Next to her, Pierre was watching them with a stiff expression. When her chance came, the girl stepped forward.

"You sound so mature and elegant," she told the other girl, "your voices sound beautiful together."

"Oh, thank you!" Andromeda laughed, "You're so sweet!"

Her cheeks turned pink as she shyly looked away. Joel stepped forward.

"Did you need something?" he asked her.

Though she knew it was just his nature to be blunt, his words still hurt after hearing what the other students were saying. Nonetheless, she tried to smile up at him.

"I thought you'd like to step out," she told him, "there are a lot of people here."

"Yeah, let's go."

They walked out together after waving goodbye. As the pair made their way out of the Great Hall, their hands kept touching. Elyon's face turned pink, but her buddy seemed totally and completely unaffected.  
They walked down the halls, heading outside. Joel had asked why they weren't going to the courtyard, but Elyon was keeping their destination a secret. Once they got outside, she pulled off her heels and held onto the boy's hand. His cheeks turned pink, but the girl didn't notice.

"Really, where are we going?" Joel asked as he was led through the forest.

"Somewhere nice and relaxing!" Elyon chirped back, giving him a bright smile.

He grumbled something, but she paid it no mind. Soon enough, they reached their destination.

"The lake?"

"Just a moment please." Elyon lightly coughed and called out, "Alright, we're good now!"

Suddenly, fireflies began flying through the air. They moved slowly and leisurely around, creating a warm light. As Joel was staring up in awe, Elyon led him to a fallen tree trunk. They sat down next to each and looked up.

"They look like moving stars," he murmured.

"Yes!" Elyon agreed, then looked up at the real stars. "Oh, look! Ursa Major!"

"Isn't that Orion's belt?"

"Huh? Oh. no, that's over there."

"No, I'm pretty sure it is."

"No, I'm fairly certain it isn't."

"It is."

"It isn't."

"It is!"

"It isn't!"

"Is!"

"Isn't!"

As they started raising their voices, they couldn't help bursting into fits of laughter. Elyon looked up with a sigh.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter. It's a beautiful sight."

"Yeah," Joel agreed, but it wasn't the sky he was gazing at.

They weren't sure how long they sat there, but the music from the party was still ringing through the air. As Elyon grew drowsy, she leaned her head on Joel's shoulder. For a moment, the boy stiffened. Then, hesitantly, he laid his head on hers.  
With no real reason to go back, the pair silently decided it was a nice way to spend the evening.


	24. Winter Holiday Party - Elias

Ana giggled as she heard Sabrina practically pounce onto Vincent. She began walking around, unsure about what she should do. She began messing with her rings, making them change shape and form. Suddenly, she saw a familiar face. Without any hesitation, she walked over.

"Hey, Elias," she greeted him.

"Huh? Oh, hello-?!"

He stared at her in shock. Tilting her head, the girl looked at him.

"What is it?"

"Y-You look," he stuttered, his face turning red, "I-I mean, you clean up n-nicely."

Realizing how he sounded, Elias' face went up in flames as he went into a panic. He stuttered, trying to take it back, but it was too late.

"What?"

"N-No! I-I mean, I- Gah! I'm sorry!"

While she knew he hadn't meant it as an insult, it still kind of stung. Without giving him a chance to explain, she whirled around and left. As she walked out of the party, Elias tried to call out after her.

"Wow," Luca sighed, "You really know how to treat a lady, don't you?"

"Shut up!"

"Hey, hey, relax!" Luca chuckled, then handed him a cup of punch. "Here, drink this and then go talk to her. You need to chill."

Elias snatched the cup from him and drained it. Tossing it in the trash as he went, he followed his buddy. He wasn't aware of that Luca had muttered something.

Meanwhile, Ana was staring at her reflection in the girl's bathroom mirror. She made different expressions as she touched her hair. It was flattened and brushed back with some gel to keep it out of her face completely. She was wearing makeup as well, silver eyeshadow and pale red matte lipstick.

"That eyelash took forever to get out," she muttered to herself.

She paused, then asked her reflection a question.

"Sure you look pretty now, but what about usually? Do you look... No, he didn't mean it like that. After all, I've never been so dressed up. I was shocked when I saw myself. I was probably a bit too hard on him. I should apologize..."

She gave her reflection a self-deprecating smile.

"Thanks. You're the best listener."

Straightening her silver gown, Ana whirled around and marched out into the hall.  
And right into someone's chest.

"Woah!"

"Eep!"

A pair of hands lightly grabbed her shoulders. Looking up, Ana found the person she was about to look for.  
Neither had expected they would run into each other quite so quickly, so they ended up staring at each other in shock. Slowly, their faces grew red as they realized their positions. They jumped apart and awkwardly looked at the ground.

 _I need to apologize._

At the same time, they looked up and spoke.

"I'm sorry!"

They stopped and stared at each other.

"Why are you sorry?" Elias asked, "I was the one who was rude."

"No, I overreacted."

"But I made you want to leave!"

She stared up at him in confusion.

"Huh? Oh! No, I had an eyelash in my eye, and I had to use a mirror to get it out so I wouldn't mess up my makeup. When I left you earlier, I was just going to get a snack while I... waited to feel less... pathetic."

She began laughing at their whole situation.

"You're not pathetic!" Elias cried, then clapped a hand over his mouth.

Ana tilted her head.

"You alright?" she asked.

"... Yes, I just feel... odd. I don't know..." He furrowed his brow in thought, then anger erupted on his face, "LUCA! ***** "

Ana jumped at how loud his voice had become. She placed her hands on her buddy's shoulders and gently shook them to get his attention.

"You shouldn't yell here. It's empty so it sounds even louder," she scolded, then laughed, "Oh, no! I'm starting to act like you!"

He stared at her with blushing cheeks. Then, he looked as though he'd made a decision.

"Then perhaps I should act more like you."

"Huh? What does that- Woah!"

Suddenly, she found herself in one of the empty classrooms. As the door shut behind her, she looked up at Elias with a bright red face.

"W-Wha-"

"You look b-beautiful!"

She stared up at him, struck speechless.

"You l-look beautiful, and you're the one person I c-couldn't look away from! And I don't just mean tonight! You look c-cute everyday, an-and..."

Ana stared at him in shock. There he stood, steam practically pouring from his ears, his eyes squeezed shut, and his hands clenched. Stepping forward, Ana placed her hands around his.

"Relax, Elias," Ana soothed, "I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but this can't be good for your heart."

He glowered at her. Now that she was wearing heels, she was eye-level, and nearly taller.

"... Don't make fun of me."

He stuck out his bottom lip slightly as he pouted.

 _S-So cute!_

"I wasn't. I just don't want you to force yourself to do something that seems so difficult for you. Anyway, how is this you acting like me?"

Elias scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"I wanted you to blush. I'm always getting flustered, so I wanted you to feel it for a change."

 _Oh..._

Now it was Ana's turn to be embarrassed.

"And just how did you get the courage?"

"Luca. He put a Fortis Vero potion in my punch. It makes braver and... well, it makes me braver. To mess with you!"

 _If that's how you want to play!_

Leaning forward she smiled coyly.

"And? Was it worth it?" she asked, fluttering her lashes.

He gulped, then a look of determination flashed through his eyes. He gulped, then wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her close enough for his face to be out of sight. Ana's eyes grew round as she stiffened, completely at a loss as to what she should do.

Suddenly, the door swung open. A couple stared at them through the doorway, looking as though they were about to kiss.

"Oops! Sorry! I didn't realize this room was occupied!" one of them laughed.

They shut the door and moved on.

Elias and Ana threw themselves a part, their faces scarlet red.

"L-Let's head back," Ana suggested.

"Great idea," Elias agreed.

They hurried back to the party, hoping no one had noticed their absence.  
While neither was aware of it, they remained glued to one another's side for the rest of the night.

* * *

 ***Bonus Scene:**

Luca sneezed and looked around.

"What is it?" a classmate asked.

"Dunno," he shrugged, "just felt odd for a second."

He shrugged it off as he leaned back down onto the couch.


	25. Winter Holiday Party - Yukiya

Stella leaned against the wall. Luca had told her to find Yukiya, but the boy had vanished. She furrowed her brow as she thought of where he might've gone. As she scanned the crowd of students, it hit her.

She ran off to get her fur cloak from the coat check. She put it on as she walked outside. It seemed to be growing colder, so many students began making their way inside. Stella had a hard time going against the flow of the students. As she approached the forest, she saw a familiar figure up ahead.

"Yukiya!" she called, "Wait!"

He stopped at the sound of her voice and turned around. The girl hurried up to him and took his hand.

"Come on, Yukiya. Let's head inside and drink something warm," she urged, gently pulling on his arm.

"It's loud in there," the boy replied.

"But you'll catch a cold. We can hang out somewhere quiet, if you'd like."

He thought for a moment, then gave a short nod. Stella smiled as she led him inside by the hand. Just as they had expected, it was even louder inside than it had been before. Yukiya was already looking uncomfortable. Stella looked around until she saw an empty area behind some of the columns. It was quieter there and far less crowded. The boy seemed to relax as he leaned back against the wall.

"See? It's not so bad here." Stella smiled up at him.

"Yeah." He nodded.

Yukiya looked out at the people. At first glance, he looked expressionless, but Stella could see a content gleam in his eyes. Leaning her head against the column across from him, Stella looked up.

"Oh!" she cried, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"What is it?" Yukiya asked.

Pointing up, she gave him an awkward smile.

"Mistletoe..." she murmured.

 _Some time has passed since then and I made a contract to help with his. But still... h_ _e rejected me the first time I confessed._

She would like to kiss him, Stella had to admit, but she didn't want to make Yukiya uncomfortable.

"Haha! Don't panic. No one saw us. We don't have to k-kiss if you don't want to! I mean, if yo-" As she grew flustered, she looked for a distraction, "Oh, hey! There's Luca! Maybe I should go say hi again. You know, he _is_ here by himself! Haha!"

 _I am a fool. I sound like a moron..._ _I... I need to go hide somewhere._

Stella straightened her back and started moving stiffly. Just as she'd stepped out of the shadows, a hand grabbed her arm. Turning around, she found Yukiya staring at the ground with red cheeks.

"Don't go... please..."

Stella blushed as she turned to face him.

"O-Okay. No problem."

She walked back behind the column and leaned back. Yukiya returned to his spot, too.

"Sorry," he apologized after a moment, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. If you want to go, it's fine."

"No, no! I thought I was making you uncomfortable! I'm happy to spend time with you!"

She smiled brightly at him and his face softened. Reaching out, she took hold of one of his hands. She leaned in with a grin.

"Do you want to try dancing? I'm not sure how to ballroom dance, but I can show you other ones I've learned."

"Alright."

Yukiya stepped forward, moving as though he were about to go to the dance floor, then stopped. He tightened his grip on her hand and looked at her.

"Can I kiss you?"

"W-What?" Stella stared at him. "Why?"

Yukiya nodded his head towards the space above them.

"Oh, the mistletoe?" Stella stopped and thought.

 _Well... This is a good excuse. And he's the one who asked!_

Her cheeks turned red as she nodded. Fluttering her eyes shut, Stella leaned in. She felt him slowly move closer. Very, very slowly. Her racing heart picked up speed when she felt his breath on her lips.  
And then his lips touched hers.

It was a light kiss, just quick contact. They drew back and opened their eyes. They smiled shyly at one another for a few moments.

"Alright," Stella said after quietly clearing her throat, "that was... nice."

"Yeah..."

She scratched her cheek.

"Shall we dance?" she asked.

"Yes." Yukiya nodded.

He offered his hand and Stella smiled as she took it. They walked to the dance floor and stopped. Stella reached out and took his hands.

"Let's just have fun," she said.

"I have fun just being around you," Yukiya replied with warm eyes.

"Yukiya!" she mockingly gasped, "I didn't know you were such a flirt!"

"I only said the truth."

Giggling, she started to sway. Yukiya mimicked her movements, though somewhat clumsy about it. The longer they danced, the smoother his movements became. Soon enough, he was keeping pace with her.

"Alright, Yukiya! I'm gonna make it more complicated!"

She began twirling, and the boy repositioned his hands to help her maintain her balance. She made him turn a few times, as well. Dancing and turning, they paid no mind to their surroundings.

"Hey, careful!" cried one of the students.

Snapped out of their reverie, the pair realized they had somehow made their way to the middle of the dance floor. They looked around in surprise. Stella began laughing.

"Wow! I didn't realize we were so into it!"

"Neither did I," Yukiya smiled back.

"Shall we dance some more and see where we end up next?" Stella asked with a giggle.

He offered his hands.

"Yes, that sounds fun," he chuckled back.

With a smile lighting up her face, she took his hands. They continued their dance, the world around them practically fading away.  
That is, until they knocked into some students carrying food. The drinks didn't stain anyone's clothes, as they'd used magic to clean them.

"Maybe we should go take a break," Yukiya suggested.

"Alright!"

He took her hand and began walking back to the couches, where some students had begun to fall asleep. As soon as they sat down, Yukiya faced sideways and dropped his head onto Stella's lap. Though she was caught off guard at first, she began smiling as she ran her fingers through his blue hair.

"I had fun today," she whispered.

"...Me, too..."

Then, he began snoring. As he curled up his body, Stella couldn't help giggling.

 _Maybe I still have a chance._


	26. When Did You Know? - Vincent

_This takes place quite a while after the main story._

* * *

"When did you know?"

Vincent stopped playing with his youngest daughter, Anabelle to look at his oldest. At nine years old, Rosalind was already beginning to greatly resemble her mother, both in appearance and personality. The one characteristic the father and daughter seemed to share was their amber-gold eyes. Everything else was all Sabrina.

"What do you mean?" he asked, readjusting his grip on the wriggling three year old in his arms.

"When did you fall in love with mom?" Rosalind stared at him like he should have known what she was trying to say.

Vincent let out a small chuckle. She even had the same annoyed expression as his wife. The young girl let out a heavy sigh as she took her baby sister from him. Sitting down next to her father on the couch, she began fixing Anabelle's wild black hair.

"Well, I guess it was... I don't know exactly _when_ I fell for her. I just slowly began to realize it."

"But _when_ did you realize it?" Rosalind groaned, "Just tell me!"

"Okay, okay! Geez, aren't you too young to start hating your old man?"

"Well, you _are_ an old man."

Vincent wore a horrified look on his face at his sweet daughter's words. An image of a young red haired woman and a woman with a shaved head covered in blue tattoos flashed through his mind.

 _Ana and Anna! I swear I'll get you both back!_

Gritting his teeth, he looked back at his daughter. Her amber eyes stared up at him expectantly, though there was a light of excitement dancing through her gaze. It seemed she hadn't learned how to hide her real feelings. Vincent chuckled and messed up her hair.

"Well, I wasn't as quick to realize my feelings for your mama. I just started realizing that I wanted to be around her more, that I didn't like seeing other guys hitting on her, that I loved it when she gave me that warm look. Then, she started being rather obvious with her affection. Normally, I don't like people being so persistent, but she seemed so... innocent and honest, I guess."

The man couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face. Sabrina had been so cute, it didn't take her long to wrap him around her finger.

 _And now I'm not only at her beck and all, but also our three princesses..._

Rosalind reached out and lightly tugged on his sleeve, waiting for him to go on with the story.

"She wanted to be a princess with a knight, she wanted her fairy tale ending," Vincent continued, "That's not an unusual dream, but she said she was working hard for it. And then she told me she wanted _me_ to be her knight. Now, I had already started to slowly fall for her, right from the moment we met. But those words... That's what did it. That's when I crossed the point of no return. I loved her, and I wanted to be her knight, and her to be my princess."

"And now I am."

A sudden warmth embraced him from behind. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sabrina leaning over the couch with warm, loving eyes. Vincent picked up one of her hands and kissed it. He heard Juliette, their second daughter, gag. He let out a low chuckle as he spoke to his wife.

"How long have you been there? I didn't hear you come in."

"I've been teaching Ettie to move more quietly. We came in around the time you called me 'persistent'. I'm glad we did, too. You never told me you'd loved me since I made that knight comment!"

"What can I say? You caught my heart right from the start."

"You romantic!" Sabrina squealed.

She tightly slung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his cheek. Vincent kissed her cheek as she pulled away.

"Well, Rose," Vincent began, turning to his oldest daughter, "why were you so curious about when I fell for your mother?"

The black haired girl stood up and handed Annabelle to her red haired sister. She straightened out her yellow dress before answering.

"Ian said he loves me and that he wants to marry me when we get older."

And with that she walked outside. Vincent sat there in muted shock for a few moments, while Sabrina was practically howling with laughter.

"HE SAID WHAT?!"

"Calm down, my love. Killian's a total-"

"She's nine! She's not allowed to marry until I'm six feet under!"

"I think it's sweet."

"MY BABY GIRL! He wants to take away my baby girl!"

"Gods help me..."

"She's nine, Sabrina! What am I supposed to do?! The audacity of that kid, but look at his father! What if he's just like him? I'm not saying he's a bad guy, but if the kid leads on our sweet Rosie, I'll have to-"

"Juliette wants to be a knight, like you. We went out to look at the blacksmith's shop."

As though some switch had been flipped, Vincent's eyes lit up. Their second daughter looked up at him shyly as her younger sister squirmed out of her arms. Grinning, he swept both girls up into his arms.

"Really, Ettie?!" he cried, "I'll teach you everything I know! Oh, this is awesome!"

Sabrina watched them and laughed. Even after all these years, she still found herself finding something new to love about him. She walked into the kitchen with a smile and pulled out the ingredients for dinner.

* * *

 **I can only picture Vincent as having a bunch of daughters. Like, he's supposed to look intimidating, and he has a top-secret job, but then her goes home and wears a crown to have a tea party with his tiny princesses. Sabrina, of course, takes many pictures.  
Pick one or two characters, and I'll do a family/future oneshot for them like I did with Vincent and Sabrina.**

 **I hope you guys enjoyed reading this oneshot!**

 **Please leave reviews,  
Have a nice day/night!**

 **By the way, Killian is the son of one of the other pairings. See if you can guess who!**


	27. The Color of Love - Luca

A little boy with green hair stared up at his work.

It had taken about a year, and drained him mentally, physically, and magically. A burst of pride flooded his chest as he gazed at what he'd done. After years of living in dark isolation, after a lifetime of being sealed away, the walls that had closed him off from the world now had a hole.

The hole itself was not all that great. It was maybe half a centimeter wide, and too small for him to really see through, but that didn't matter. The important thing was the light, beautiful, natural sunlight.

The boy had read many books about it, but he had never been let out of the small house. It had no windows or doors, two rooms besides the dining room, not including the restroom, and many books. One of these books was alive, and the boy later learned it was a grimoire. He had been the one to teach the boy magic. There was also a magic hand mirror with a spirit. Her name was Glenda, and when she was alive, she had been a sculptor. It was she who'd gotten him interested in the arts.

It was thanks to those two that the boy learned how to interact with others. They were also the ones who told him about 'outside'. He'd grown up believing his tiny house was the world, never even considering that there may be something just outside those walls. Glenda described her home and her family in a faraway village, where crops and flowers grew, and nonhuman beings roamed. The grimoire told him that there were things called 'animals' and 'magical creatures'.

The boy wanted to see these things for himself.

He wanted to know that what they were saying was real, not just stories.

So he begged the grimoire for lessons on how to disspell the barrier around the house. Day in and day out, the boy practiced magic. The only time he stopped was when he had to eat or sleep. He just wanted a glimpse of 'outside', reassurance that it was real.

And he found it. A ray of sunlight, unlike anything he'd ever seen.

He spent days gazing at that hole. He was too weak to make it any larger, but that was alright.

Or so he told himself.

 _I want see what's out there..._

The boy tried to be satisified just a taste of the 'outside', but he only grew hungry for more. He thought he'd go mad staying in that house, which suddenly felt too small.m

"Oh? What's this?"

The boy gasped in shock, then scrambled away from the wall. The voice came from the 'outside'. It was high and sounded almost like the voice was singing. The boy crept closer and called out.

"W-Who are you?"

"Oh? Is someone in there?"

"In where?"

"Inside the house!"

"... Yes, I'm in the house. You're... outside the house?"

"Of course! After all, I'm not inside with you. Who are you, boy? You sound like you're my age."

"I-I..."

The boy thought back to the nickname Glenda had given him.

"Call me... Lucky. I'm eight years old."

"Hmm... My friend calls me Mousy."

"It's, uh, nice to meet you, Mousy. Hey, what's it like out there? Outside?"

The voice went quiet, and Lucky grew nervous.

"It's beautiful out. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and there are flowers all around."

"What does it feel like, though?" Lucky pushed, "Describe it!"

Mousy sighed before answering.

"Well, let's see... The grass is tickles your feet, kind of like coarse hair. It's green, like how you feel when you succeed or achieve something. There are flowers, warm colors mostly, like reds, yellows, and pinks, and when you look at a large group of them, they look like tiny flames."

The boy slid down the wall and sat on the floor. He closed his eyes and imagined the scene his companion was creating.

"And the sky?" he asked.

"It's... It's the color of being relaxed and calm, of being safe and comfortable."

"And the sun?"

"It... It feels like love. Love between friends, love between family, and even love between, well, lovers!"

Lucky stiffened. Furrowing his brow, he stood up and leaned close to his tiny window to the outside.

"What does that feel like?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Mousy's voice grew louder, and Lucky realized she had moved closer.

"I don't know what that feels like..." the boy muttered.

"That's... That's..." Mousy stumbled, "That's too sad! What about your mama? Your papa? Brothers? Sisters?"

"I don't have any."

"Are you an orphan? Even if you are, there should be other children and adults to take care of you!"

"I don't know." Lucky shrugged. "I have a grimoire and Glenda."

"Oh! What are they like?"

"The grimoire is always criticizing me, and Glenda's nice, but she's dead and stuck in a hand mirror."

It was silent outside, and Lucky began to worry that Mousy had run off. Just as he was about to call out to her, she spoke.

"You're lonely, aren't you, Lucky?"

The boy flinched, then bit his lip.

"... I think I might be."

The girl went quiet again.

"Mousy?" Lucky called.

"Me, too... I get lonely, too," she quietly told him, "But I have my friends and siblings."

"Oh..."

Suddenly, a light smack hit the wall outside. Lucky jumped at the sudden sound and leaped to his feet.

"Are you okay?" he called.

"You have me!" Mousy shouted, "I'll be your friend, and then neither of us will have to be lonely!"

"R-Really?"

"Yes! I'll love you, Lucky, and you can love me! Then you'll know what the sun feels like!"

"O-Okay!"

Another voice shouted on the outside, but Lucky couldn't tell what they were saying. He heard the scrambling of feet and Mousy's panicked voice.

"Oops! I was wandering around too long! I'll get into even bigger trouble if I don't go now! Oh, but I'll come back tomorrow, Lucky!"

"You better!" Lucky replied, then quietly said, "... Love you..."

"Oh!" Mousy squealed, "Um, love you, too! See you soon!"

And then she was gone. The boy stood there for a few moments, waiting to see if she'd come back. When it became clear that she had really left, he walked off to the room next to his bedroom. He pulled out a canvas and his paints. There were only five colors, white, black, yellow, blue, and red. He dipped his brush in the blue paint and raised it to the canvas.

"The color of being safe and comfortable..." he remembered, and pulled his brush away.

He looked at his paints and furrowed his brow. He carefully mixed the blue with the white. When he saw the light shade of blue it created, he let out a short breath.

"... Relaxed and comfortable..."

He took his brush and painted across the upper portion of the canvas. Then he cleaned his brush off in the water.

"Grass... green like victory..." he hummed.

He mixed yellow and blue, but the color seemed wrong. He frowned and thought. Then, he added more yellow. He grinned as he raised his brush.

"Pricks your feet like coarse hair..."

He made short, sharp, thin brushstrokes across the bottom third of the canvas. It took a while, but it created a neat image.

"Flowers like fire..." he murmured.

The boy glanced up at the magic torches on the wall. He painted tiny and delicate orange flames on the grass.

"The sun... feels like love..." he whispered.

It was at this point that the boy set down his brush. He had yet to understand what color love was.

"But she'll be back tomorrow," he told himself, "I'll find out tomorrow!"

...  
...

"Clouds are greyish white," Mousy replied, "and they're sweet and gentle. At least when it's not raining."

"And then what're they like?"

"Upset and energetic, and they swallow the sky. They shout and cry until they feel better. They smash their pots and vases, and let out the lightning. But once they feel better, they apologize and make the land feel refreshed and healthy."

Lucky looked at all his canvases. Three days had passed, and he'd created a stormy field, a snowy lake, and his first painting was getting close to finished. He'd added clouds to it, and he'd almost found the sun's loving color.

...  
...

"Riddle?" Lucky echoed, "Okay, go for it."

"Okay! You'll never guess!" Mousy giggled, "What can jump higher than a mountain?"

Lucky furrowed his brow and thought.

"Nothing can jump higher than a mountain. They're too tall!"

"Wrong! It's anything that can jump!"

"What?"

"Silly, mountain's _can't_ jump, so everything else that _can_ jump automatically jumps higher!"

Lucky laughed.

"I get it! Okay, do another!"

...  
...

"-And they lived happily ever after," Lucky finished.

"That's such a good story!" Mousy squealed, "Read another!"

...  
...

"Why did the skeleton go to the ball alone?" Mousy asked.

"I don't know, why did the skeleton go to the ball alone?" Lucky replied.

"He had no body to go with!"

Lucky chuckled.

"Your turn," Mousy reminded him.

"Alright, alright," Lucky sighed, "How does a lion like his meat?"

"How does a lion like his meat?"

"Medium ROAR!" Lucky roared near the hole in the wall.

Mousy squealed in surprise before breaking out into laughter.

...  
...

Yellow and some red. Blended together, they created a warm gold. Lucky lifted his brush and painted a near perfect circle in the upper center of the blue sky. The boy painted faint rays coming from it, then narrowed his eyes.

"It's still missing something..." he muttered.

He looked at his paints, then an idea hit him. Red, white, and a small bit of purple blended together. Lifting his brush, the boy added small strokes of the new color to the sun, and it seemed to practically glow.

"Woohoo!" the boy shouted as he stepped back to look at his work.

But something was still missing. He hissed in frustration and walked out of the room.

...  
...

"Mousy," Lucky began, "What do you look like?"

"What do I look like?" she echoed, "Well, let me think..."

Lucky tapepd his feet on the floor as he waited.

"Well, my hair is reddish pink, and my eyes are cognac brown. My cheeks are round, but my mother says it's because I'm still young. I'm almost four feet tall."

"Are you pretty?"

"Well, that's rude!" Mousy snapped, "And that depends on a person's preference."

"Do you think I'd find you pretty?"

Mousy went silent.

"Mousy?"

"... I hope so..."

"I'm sure I would!" the boy reassured her.

The girl remained quiet.

"Um," he started, "What's your favorite color?"

"... Green. Almost all the possible shades."

"Okay." The boy felt his cheeks go pink as he smiled.

They sat in silence.

"Hey, Lucky?"

"Yeah, Mousy?"

"What do you look like? Are you handsome?"

Th boy smiled before answering.

...  
...

She had never been this late. The boy began to worry that something had happened when he heard her running.

"L-Lucky!" she sobbed, "I-I-I'm so sor-sorry!"

"What's going on?!" he shouted, jumping to his feet.

"I-I have to leave!" she wailed, "I t-tr-tried to stay, but no o-one wi-will let me!"

A sharp pain shot through the boy's chest.

"You... You're leaving?"

"T-Tomor-row mo-morning! I-I'm so. so, so sorry!"

The boy dropped to the floor and sat there. He was silent, and didn't respond to the girl's shouts.

"Can we... Can we ever meet again? If I get out?"

The girl gasped and moved closer to the whole in the wall.

"M-Maybe!" she cried.

"Then will you wait for me?"

"Y-Yes!"

The boy took a deep breath.

"Then don't say goodbye. Just say 'See you soon', like you always do."

"I will!" she promised.

The two children went silent again. The boy opened his mouth to say something, but a distant shouting broke through the air. Though he couldn't tell what they were saying, the boy recognized it as the one that always called the girl away.

"... I'll... see you later, Mousy," he quietly said.

"S-See yo-you l-later, Lucky!" she sobbed before running off.

"Love you..."

...  
...

A little boy with green hair stared up at his work.

It was a painting of a field. It had flowers like flames, fluffy clouds, grass like coarse hair, and a warm, loving sun. Laying down on the grass was a little girl, with reddish pink hair wearing a green dress with darker green bows. Next to her was a little boy with green hair, wearing a white shirt and pinkish red pants. They were holding hands and looking at each other.

The boy picked up the painting and put in up on the wall in his bedroom, where he could look at it every day.

"Just keep waiting for me, Mousy," he murmured, "We'll definitely meet again."

* * *

 **Hope you guys like this oneshot!**

 **Please leave reviews and critiques!  
Have a nice day/night!**


	28. Nervous - Klaus

**An AU in which Klaus and Cecilia stay together after graduation.**

* * *

Klaus Victor Goldstein was never nervous. He had been the emperor of the Gedonelune Royal Magic Academy as a student, a well-respected prefect, and now he was one of the best professors of the academy. He'd faced dark wizards, and dangerous magical creatures. He had managed to calm down his older brother when his Miss Elaine was in labor.  
He was incredible and level-headed.

So why was he in a cold sweat?

 _This is nothing. It's just a question, and I already know her answer. We've been dating since we were students!_

Cecilia smiled as she stepped down the stairs, and Klaus felt his heart thump. No matter how many times he'd seen her dressed up, she always made him feel nervous. Only slightly, of course. And he would never tell her.

Her platinum blonde hair was done up, with only a small cluster of hair framing her face on each side. Tangerine eyes framed by long, curling lashes looked at him, full of warmth and love.

 _Of course she'll say yes._

She grinned and twirled in her light violet dress.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"As gorgeous as always," he purred, walking over and offering his arm.

"What did you expect?" she chuckled, slipping her arm through his.

 _But what if she thinks it's too soon?_

They walked to the carriage, and Klaus held the door open. She smiled sweetly as he helped her up. Then, he went around the other side and sat beside her. They talked about their students and classes. Where Klaus was the best academically, the students all adored Cecilia. They saw her as a guide and as well as someone to talk to when times were tough. It made him feel proud to be by her side.

They walked into the restaurant. As a waiter walked them to their table in the back, Klaus subtly stuck his hand in his pocket and felt the velvet box.

 _Almost time..._

As they ate, they chatted about lighthearted matters, like how Nicholas and Elaine were planning to have their third child, and how Cecilia's father had found an incredibly rare fish.

 _He gave me his blessing already, so I have his support._

They got dessert, and they offered each other a bite of their own cake. When they were done, they walked out of the restaurant. The couple walked outside for a while.

 _I... can't wait any longer._

Klaus led his beloved to the fountains. As Cecilia was smiling up at the water, he dropped to his knee and took out the box.

"Cecilia?" he called.

 _Calm down._

She turned her head, and her eyes, those beautiful eyes, widened in surprise.

 _She loves you._

"We've known each other for a long time," he began, "And this moment... I've been waiting for it from the beginning."

 _We'll grow old together._

"Will you marry me?"

"I suppose!" she replied, though she had tears in her eyes, "I suppose I'll have to say yes!"

She held out her hand and he carefully placed the elaborate, diamond-encrusted ring.

 _We'll be together forever._

He held out his arms and couldn't suppress a grin as she threw herself into his embrace. She leaned back just enough to place a sweet kiss on his lips. Klaus tightened his arms around her, his heart overflowing with love, happiness, and relief.

 _Of course she'd say yes._

* * *

 **Hope you guys like this oneshot! I know I don't do a lot of Klaus ones, and the last one for him wasn't super romantic, so I hope this makes up for it a bit.**

 **Please leave reviews and critiques!  
Have a nice day/night!**


	29. What Are You Doing? - Elias

_This takes place quite a while after the main story_

* * *

Ana carefully burped the baby girl in her arms. Natalia had her mother's copper hair, but her father's amethyst eyes. She was already far quieter and better behaved than her older brother, Cassius.

 _We have our arms full as it is with that little troublemaker..._

It was then that she realized something. She hadn't seen her son since Elias had walked off with him that morning. She readjusted her grip on their daughter.

"Shall we go find Papa and Cass?" she asked.

Natalia let out a happy gurgle, making the woman laugh. With that, the two redheads left the nursery and made their way to the little boy's favorite places.

Their first stop was the dining room. Cassius was by far the clumsiest child either Elias, Ana, or their friends had ever seen. If he wasn't crashing into a wall, he was slipping and falling on his butt. It had gotten to the point where the little boy stopped crying altogether; he just rolled to his feet and kept going. Elias wasn't panicking or casting a healing spell, and the furniture was all still in place.

"Where to next?" Ana asked the baby. Natalia responded by clapping her hands.

Next, they went outside. Cassius loved playing in the dirt, making mud cakes, in short, making a complete mess of himself. Ana found it adorable, especially when he walked and offered her one of his mud cakes. Elias never understood it, but he'd still smile when the little boy would show off the mud castles he'd make. But today, the garden looked neat and clean. Cassius was clearly not here. As she inspected the flowerbed, Ana found her husband's wand. She picked it up.

"Seriously, where did they go?" Ana murmured, tilting her head.

The baby giggled and the woman sighed.

"Stay still!" shouted a voice.

Ana and Natalia looked at each other.

"That sounded like it came from upstairs," she mused.

They walked back into the house and headed up the staircase. Thy could hear grumbling from the master bedroom. Ana furrowed her brow and opened the door.  
She couldn't have been prepared for what she found.

"What... What are you doing?"

There was Elias, his hair, normally neat, was in complete disarray. He had a bruise forming on his cheek and his nose was red, as though it had been pinched. Meanwhile, Cassius covered in what looked like bubble wrap, his wild golden hair poking out from underneath a helmet. Both were looking worse for wear as they glared at each other.  
Ana couldn't help bursting into laughter as Natalia cackled in her arms.

"Stop laughing!" Elias huffed.

Before answering, the young woman grabbed her camera and took a photo.

"What are you doing?" she repeated, "Or rather, what are you trying to do?"

"He keeps running into things! If he would just sit still, I could finish and he could go out and play!" Elias growled, tossing his hands up in defeat.

"And _why_ didn't you use magic?"

"Your son threw my wand out the window!"

Ana fished his wand out of her pocket and handed it to him. He muttered a 'Thanks' before turning back to their son.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked the little boy.

Cassius puffed out his cheeks and turned away. When it came to pouting, Cassius was just like his father.

"He doesn't hate you," Ana reassured him, taking a seat on the floor next to him, "you just need to let him learn. He's a kid; kids get scrapes and bruises. It's just how it goes. You can't protect him from everything."

"But I just want to keep him safe for as long as possible..."

Ana leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Just let him be a clumsy fool. He'll grow out of it and become all the stronger."

Elias ran a hand through his hair.

"I guess you're right..."

She handed Natalia over to her father.

"Alright, let me go get him cleaned up. Tallie's still at an age where you can smother her and keep her safe from everything."

Elias cradled the little girl in his arms. She fell right asleep. Ana smiled as she offered her hand to their son.

"Come on, Cass. How about you make me a castle out of mud?"

"Yes!" The little boy jumped to his feet and grabbed her hand.

As she walked out of the room, Ana blew her husband a quick kiss. He smiled and lifted Natalia's arm, as if she were waving goodbye.


	30. Halloween - The Wolf and Red Riding Hood

"Yuki!" Stella shouted, "I've got our costumes for the party!"

The blue haired boy lifted his head. The girl was rushing over with a pair of bags. Since they'd started dating, she'd begun calling him by that nickname. He still wasn't used to hearing it. It gave him a slight, almost giddy feeling. He sat up and and patted the spot next to him, Stella's smile grew wider and she plopped down next to him on the grass.

"You said you were fine with whatever costume I picked out for you, and I was having trouble trying to find something. As I was walking through one of the stores, I had an idea!" She clapped her hands together. "I got us couple costumes!"

Yukiya furrowed his brow.

"A... couple of costumes?"

Stella stared at him a moment, as though trying to determine whether or not he was being serious.

"N-no... I meant... Our costumes go together, like peanut butter and jelly or salt and pepper."

"... We're going as peanut butter and jelly?"

"... No, _like_ peanut butter and jelly. Hm... Oh! Ana and Elias are doing the same thing, but I don't think they realize it."

"Are they... going... as salt and pepper?"

Stella blinked at him a few times.

"Thank the gods you're pretty, Yukiya," she sighed. "I got us corresponding costumes. It's something that people who are close do."

"... Oh."

 _So she wants us to match..._

The blue haired boy began to blush. The girl giggled.

"What did you pick out?" he asked.

"You'll have to wait until tomorrow," she said with a cheeky smile.

"But-"

"I'll give you the box with your costume later, but you have to promise not to open it until you have to change."

"Promise." He kissed her on the cheek.

She giggled again and surprised him with a quick kiss to his lips. Before he had a chance to react, she began talking about what she'd seen in town. As they laid down, Yukiya listened with a smile.  
Yet a small part of him was curious as to what his girlfriend had picked out.

...

* * *

...

Elias straightened out the lapel of his pale blue tailcoat. He sighed when he caught sight of his reflection.

"How did they get me to agree to this?" he grumbled, then glanced at his roommate. "Shouldn't you be getting ready soon?"

Yukiya nodded and grabbed the box from the top of his dresser. He undid the blue ribbon and lifted the lid.

 _I don't get it..._

Noticing his friend's confusion, Elias walked over to investigate.

"Take them out and maybe we'll have a better idea of what you're supposed to be," he suggested.

Yukiya nodded and began removing the items from the box. The first was a new, white shirt. It would be a bit loose, but there was a scarlet sash in the box that he could use to tie it back. Next came a pair of dark grey pants. Stuck to them was a note telling him to tuck the pants into his black boots. He glanced up at his roommate. Elias shrugged, still just as confused.

"There's something else..." the blue haired boy murmured.

He pulled back the tissue paper and tilted his head. He carefully lifted the blood red cloak from the box. The two boys stared at it for a few moments.

"Maybe it's... But then..." Elias muttered and looked up, "I have an idea, but once you see Stella's costume, we'll know for sure. For now, just get dressed."

"Alright." The boy stood up. "Don't forget your sash."

"Oh, thanks."

By the time the two friends were ready, it was nearly time for them to meet up with their dates (though Elias refused to refer to Anastasia as his date). The closer they got to the meeting spot, the more agitated the blonde looked. Yukiya gave him a pat on the shoulder, just as they caught sight of the girls. They were chatting as they walked, still not quite at the meeting spot. The two parties ended up reaching the rendezvous at the same moment. Ana placed her hands on her armored hips and raised an eyebrow.

"I would've thought you'd be here an hour early, Elias," she huffed, "Instead, you were almost late."

"W-Well, I'm here now."

Elias seemed a little to distracted to come up with a proper comeback. His cheeks were red as he tore his eyes away from the girl. Stella was trying to keep from laughing.  
Yukiya shrugged and looked at his own date. She was wearing a ragged, dirty white dress cinched at the waste with one of the straps falling off her shoulder. On her head was a pair of black wolf ears, and as she tried to cover her smile with her hand, he saw that she had sharp black claws and pointed canines. When she realized he was observing her, she turned her gaze towards him, her eyes more wolf-like than before.

"What do you think?" she asked, doing a quick twirl.

"... Cute..."

"Thanks! You look good, too. Do you know what we are?"

Yukiya shook his head. Stella sighed, though her eyes were smiling.

"Yuki, come on! Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf!" she explained, "Though this time, I switched the roles. You're way too sweet to be the wolf."

"Ah, I see."

"You guys look so cute together," Ana laughed, "your couple's costumes look great!"

"You, too. A knight and a prince? Perfect!"

Ana jumped so hard, the sword hanging at her side hit her armor with a loud clang. Elias's face turned even redder as he began stuttering. Stella laughed and grabbed Yukiya's hand, and before anyone could get a word in, ran off with the boy. Yukiya couldn't help smiling, even if he felt a little bad about abandoning his friend.  
When they'd made some distance, Stella slowed down, but kept her grip on his hand. He gave a light squeeze and a warm feeling bubbled in his heart when he saw her cheeks turn pink.

"Are you okay with these costumes?" she asked, "I wasn't completely sure of your sizes, so I hope you're not uncomfortable."

"I'm happy."

 _And it's not because these clothes are comfortable..._

Stella squeezed his hand back.

"I wonder how they've decorated the ballroom and Great Hall. They made it look so pretty for winter. Ooh, and I wonder if they'll have spooky looking food. You think they'll have a bobbing for apples sort of thing? I've never gotten to do one, have you? They seem fun."

The boy smiled as he listened to the girl chatter away. It seemed as though after all they'd been through, they were able to enjoy the simple things in life, together. At times, he was happy just to hear her talk. Now that he was able to hold her and kiss her and do everything together, Yukiya couldn't think of any way to be happier (well, besides seeing his family and introducing Stella to them, but that's a story for another time).  
As they got closer to the party, Yukiya suppressed a groan. It was already loud outside, how rowdy would it be inside? He would, of course, still go in and he couldn't let his girlfriend see his reluctance to deal with people. She just seemed so excited.

Yukiya should have known better. The two had learned how to read each other's moods, even before they'd officially started dating. Stella tightened her grip on his hand and dragged him off the main path and into some tall bushes. She gave him a worried look.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "Let's go."

"Yukiya-"

"You've been looking forward to this. I've been looking forward to spending time with you. So, let's go."

As he turned away to start walking, a sudden weight was thrown on him. Yukiya let out a short shout of surprise as he stumbled back into a tree, his red cape fluttering in the breeze. Before he could regain his composure, a pair of arms blocked him in, preventing his escape. He stared at his girlfriend.

"You know, I'm always telling you that you're just too sweet," she began.

Her voice was just a touch lower, and yet it made his chest feel tingly. A wolfish smile blossomed on her lips.

"I might just have to eat you up, Red."

Just as he realized what the girl had said, Yukiya felt a pair of lips press against his. It was an intoxicatingly sweet kiss, and Yukiya's mind went blank. As she pulled away, Stella gave his lips a playful nip.

"Think you'll be able to handle going in, now?" she asked, returning to her regular, sweeter nature.

Yukiya just stared at her in silence, his gaze moving in between her eyes and her full lips.  
He'd nearly forgotten that Stella was far more experienced in kissing.

"... N-No..."

Her eyes widened as she began to blush.

"Cheeky..." she muttered, leaning in.

This time, Yukiya was expecting it. As their lips touched, he wrapped his arms around her and felt her arms snaking around his neck. This kiss, unlike the first, wasn't so tortuously sweet that his mind went blank, so he was able to reciprocate. After what like both seconds and hours, they pulled apart. They smiled dreamily at one another in silence for a few moments.

"Let's spend some time in the party, and then walk around campus. I heard some classes are doing haunted houses, and all the halls have been decorated."

"You sure?" Yukiya still ound his head a touch cloudy from the kisses.

"Of course, Yuki." She grinned. "I've been looking forward to being with you, too."

Her words pricked his heart with a kind needle. Gathering her back up in his arms, he pressed his lips to hers. Caught off guard, Stella tensed then relaxed.  
When they pulled apart for the third time, Stella stepped back with red cheeks.

"Alright, let's get going," she said, taking his hand as she walked. "We can kiss some more later."

Yukiya smiled shyly as he sped up to keep pace with her. He looked down at her with a warm gaze.

"I love you... dearest..."

His cheeks burned with embarrassment at the cheesy line.  
His hand was tightly squeezed.

"... I love you, too..."

Yukiya's smile grew wider. They continued their walk to the party in a warm, comfortable silence.


	31. Winter Holiday

**Klaus and Cecilia**

* * *

"I _promise_ ," Klaus replied for what felt like the thousandth time, "we'll leave first thing in the morning. We'll be at your father's before noon."

"Alright..." Cecilia murmured, looking uncharacteristically delicate.

They were sitting in her guest room at the Goldstein's estate. They would be heading down for the ball within the next few hours. If he were being honest, Klaus would be happy to leave now, but his role as Walter Goldstein's son kept him from doing so, and in turn kept Cecilia in the Goldstein manor with him. He'd told to go ahead and go home, but she had insisted on staying with him. Though he wouldn't dare say it aloud, Klaus was relieved and touched by her stubbornness.  
Still, he wasn't so sure about her walking out there with him. The blue dress his mother and sister-in-law had chosen was beautiful, but it left Cecilia's back bare, save for the light gold backdrop necklace. Her heels, also light gold, caused her to be just below eye level. The young woman was already tall and graceful, but now she gave off a regal air.  
It was throwing him off.

Nevertheless, he gave her a charming smile and offered his arm.

"Shall we?"

"Just a moment."

She stepped closer and reached for his collar. He could feel her breath on his neck as she straightened his lapel, and his face started to feel like it was burning. His heart rate started to pick up and it was difficult to keep his eyes from dropping to her cupid's bow lips. Yet even as he focused on her tangerine eyes, the world began to melt away.

"There, much bet- Oh!"

Her surprised squeak brought him back. Klaus blinked in surprise when he saw how bright her cheeks were. Before he could ask for the reason, he felt her hand resting on his arm. That was when he realized he'd put his hand on her lower back, as though he were trying to keep her from stepping away.

 _Or trying to pull her closer~_

Klaus moved his hand and shook his head, trying to rid it of... rather unprofessional thoughts.  
Contrary to the rumors at school (as well as the ones running through his family), they were not dating. They were working together as prefects, or they would be, once Cecilia took over for Serge.  
Aw, Serge.  
Just the thought of the pink haired moron snapped Klaus out of all the warm fuzzies he was feeling.

"Are we ready, now?" Klaus asked again.

Cecilia seemed to have calmed down as she gave a short nod and took his offered arm. He glanced down at her.

"Thank you," he said suddenly.

"What for?" She tilted her head.

"For coming as my... partner."

"Ah... well, I suppose... I suppose I just owe you."

He raised an eyebrow.

"As brutal a teacher as you can be- don't you give me that look! You know I'm right!- As brutal a teacher as you can be, it's _partly_ thanks to you that I've caught up - no, that I'm excelling in school. I've always been physically frail, and I always will be. No magic can fix that. So I've always tried to be strong in other ways. But my sickness kept me from attending the Academy. Year after year I got a letter, and year after year I grew so ill I was bedridden for weeks. When I was finally able to attend, I was... embarrassed to attend classes with younger students. I was disappointed in myself..." She paused and glanced at the ground. "And then I had the misfortune of becoming your buddy on my first day!"

" _Misfortune_?" Klaus repeated, narrowing his eyes.

" _Yes_ ," she hissed, returning the look, "You were mean. You made me feel even worse just by... by existing! You excel in everything! You're strong physically, magically, and mentally! You come from one of the wealthiest families in the country! Do you understand how _otherworldy_ you seemed to me? How... How sickeningly perfect?!"

At some point they'd stopped and separated. They stood, looking each other in the eyes.

"Right, I'm a real monster," Klaus growled back, "My life is _so_ perfect."

"I know it's not!" she snapped back, "And I know you aren't either. But any problems, any issues, any weaknesses, you hide them. And you hide them well. You can't be trying to give off a perfect air, and then get mad at people when they see you in that way."

That was when he realized how tightly the woman's fists were clenched. He sighed and took hold of one of her hands.

"It's not _people_ ," he said quietly, "just... you."

"What does tha-"

"I won't hide it anymore. You won't see me as perfect anymore."

"I said 'seemed'."

"What?" He looked at her. There was mischief in her eyes.

"You don't seem perfect to me at all anymore."

"Wait-"

She suddenly took hold of his arm.

"Shall we?" she asked, sweetly, "We'll be late if we don't hurry."

Klaus was completely and thoroughly confused as the young woman dragged him towards the ballroom.  
Yet at the same time, he felt rather content.

* * *

 **Luca and Lora**

* * *

The green haired boy sat alone in the giant library. All the students had returned home, as had most of the professors. Even the grimoires were quieter than usual. The boy supposed he should be used to it, but he still felt that horrible loneliness.

"Lucas?" a familar voice called, "Are you in here?"

He jumped to his feet and peaked around the corner. Standing there in a pale purple dress was a girl with ridiculously long hair. She looked around, as though she were searching for someone. The boy kept quiet and just watched her.

He didn't understand why she was still at the academy. Or why she was looking for him. They were on good terms; he'd go as far as to call her his friend, though not out loud. Still, he'd expected her to return home, wherever that was.

Her large brown eyes flickered around as she peaked behind the rows of shelves.

"Eulala," the girl sighed to her familiar, "I thought he might be here... You don't think he'd go to the greenhouse, do you?"

The boy glanced outside as the girl headed towards the door. It was snowing outside.

 _Is she actually going out there? She doesn't even have on a coat!_

Deciding that his joke was about to go too far, the boy started towards the girl. Just as he reached out to grab her shoulder, her hair, her stupid magic hair, wrapped around his wrist. The boy jumped, caught of guard as the girl turned to face him.

"Luc, you jerk!" she huffed, "I thought you were really going to make me go out there!"

Recovering, the boy smiled.

"Oh, come on, Lora. I'm not _that_ mean!" He then wiggled the fingers of his hand she'd caught. "Now, you think you could let me go?"

The girl's coral locks carefully unwrapped, freeing the boy's hand. He rubbed his wrist and looked at her.

"So, what are you doing here?" he asked, "Shouldn't you be at home? Or at least with your bodyguard?"

The girl shook her head.

"We haven't really had a 'home' since Lundellia fell. Normally Ore would be here and we'd get a ton of sweets, but he's gonna be gone a week or two to help my sister. It's safe at the Academy, so he let me stay."

" _Let_ you?"

Lora directed her attention to the small mouse in her hand.

"I heard that you'd be the only student around here for the break. Yukiya's left with Stella to go to the circus, and no one else is here besides a few teachers..." She gave him a quick glance. "... I thought it would be lonely..."

In spite of himself, the boy's heart skipped a beat. He shook it off.

"So you've decided to stick around? Just for me?" he questioned with a smirk.

She gave him a shy smile.

"I thought we could head into town. You said you would show me how to make snow angels, and that we could freeze the fountain."

The boy laughed and the girl drew back.

"Or I could just study. I wanted to perfect my healing magic, anyway."

"No, no," the boy stopped her, slinging his arm around her shoulder. "We should hang out. It'll be fun."

* * *

 **Ana and Elias**

* * *

Ana frowned at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't all that fond of long dresses as it was, but this was too much. It was strapless, leaving all the parts of her prosthetic right arm exposed. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her arm, it was some of Esme's finest work. She hated how people stared at it, at _her_ , as though she were on oddity to be scrutinized. She certainly didn't want Elias to go through it either. He was already so miserable at these sorts of parties, as he was a son of the Goldsteins. Ana could already imagine how he'd react when he'd be even more deeply observed as her date.

She ran her fingers along the fabric of the blue gown. It was beautiful, Elaine and Elias's mother had made sure of that, but it lacked the sleeves she'd asked for. The one feature she'd been adamant about. She held out her metallic limb, staring at the individual parts.

A sudden burst of laughter from the ballroom snapped the girl back to reality. She took a deep breath, stepped away from the mirror on the wall and walked through the doors leading to the ballroom. She and Elias had managed to avoid walking down the staircase with his brothers and parents as their arrival was announced. If the girl were being honest, she found the whole bit silly: it was a party in their own home.  
Still, Elias had never come to pick her up. Ana, after growing worried that she'd embarrass herself by arriving late, left her room on her own. She regretted it when she reached the staircase leading down to the party. Looking down at all the other guests made her feel sick to her stomach, and she stumbled back through the doors and into the hall. She felt like crying from her cowardice. One of the butlers came by to check on her.

"D-Do you know w-where Elias is?" she quietly asked.

"I'm afraid not," the man replied, "but if it would please the lady, I could see if I could find him?"

"N-No." She shook her head. "I'll go look on my own. T-Thank you."

"Please let any of us know if you need assistance."

The butler gave her a short nod before walking away. Ana sighed and began her search. She found her way to the library, but the lights were off and the room was empty. She thought about looking outside, but Elias wouldn't go outside and stand in the heavily falling snow.

"Maybe he's still in his room?" she wondered.

Ana wandered through the halls, trying to locate her date's room. She eventually found a maid who lead her to the boy's room. The woman waited by the door as Ana knocked.

"Come in..." a weak voice answered.

Ana and the maid exchanged a look before quickly entering. There they found Elias slumped on his desk, his hair a mess, and his clothes wrinkled. The pair rushed over to check on him. As the maid checked his forehead, Ana tried to get his attention.

"Elias? Elias, what's wrong?"

"I feel... sick..." he murmured.

"He has a high fever," the maid announced, "Could you please stay with him? I'll go get some medicine."

Before the girl could reply, the woman had already left. Ana glanced at the red faced boy. Throwing his arm over her shoulder, she helped him get to his feet.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," she grunted, "Geez, your heavy. How many of those chocolates have you been eating?"

"All..."

"No wonder you're sick."

With some effort, she managed to get him to the bed. She flinched as he flopped down on the blankets. He groaned. Ana sighed and straightened out his body. He muttered a complaint, making the girl roll her eyes.

"Even now, you can find something to critique me on?"

"Yeah..."

"Good gods, can't I do anything right?" she joked.

"Yes..." he stated, and turned his head to face her. "You're... brave..."

"Oh, please, go on." Ana giggled and brushed the hair from his face.

"You're pretty... and strong..." he murmured, "You're..."

Ana's face was starting to turn pink, and she shushed him.

"Elias, relax. I was just kidding."

"But... you look really beautiful... tonight... Sorry about... the party..."

"W-Wow, you're bold tonight. Um, don't worry about it. Really. I didn't want to deal with the crowd or the people asking about my arm."

He took hold of her prosthetic hand and pressed it to his lips. Ana thought her face was about to burst into flames. His feverish eyes gazed into hers.

"I don't want... people staring at you... You should be... happy..."

That sweet smile was about all she could take. Ana leaped to her feet and tried to back away.

"T-The maid will be back any second with some medic-"

"Don't leave!" Elias choked out, tightening his grip on her hand, "Please... stay here... a little longer..."

"F-Fine!"

She allowed him to lead her back to his bed. She sat down next to him and ran her fingers through his messy golden hair. He closed his eyes, his grip on her hand loosening ever so slightly. After a while, she stopped and started to move away. Elias grunted something and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"H-Hey!"

"Don't... leave me... please..."

"Elias..."

"You're... amazing... I'm sorry... I'm weak..."

"You're not weak," she snapped, "You proud, but you work hard. You're short tempered, but you're kind. You get scared, but you fight through it. Don't call yourself weak."

He stared up at her, his eyes pitiful.

"Then why do... you hate... me?"

"Okay. Your fever is getting to your brain. I don't hate you. Far from it." She laid down next to him, resting her hand on his cheek. "I... really like you. A lot."

The boy grinned and pressed his forehead to her chest. Ana began to panic, worried he would hear how fast her heart was beating. He tightly hugged her.

"I'm so... happy," he whispered, "because... I adore... you..."

"What!"

Ana's outcry received no response. Elias's breathing had evened out, and the girl realized he'd fallen asleep.

"You... You are _so_ gonna freak out when I tell you what you just said tomorrow."

She moved to get up, but the boy was hugging her too tightly. Biting her lip, Ana debated on whether she should just stay in place, or if she should try to get up. But when she saw the content smile on the boy's face, her resistance melted. With a red face, the girl cuddled up to him, returning the embrace.

About half an hour later, the maid returned. She had informed the boy's parents of his current condition, and it had taken her some time to find the right medicine. When she'd finally made it back to the room, she was shocked to find the two curled up into one another on the bed, fast asleep. As the maid set down the medicine on the bedside table, she found that the boy's fever had broken. She tried to wake up the girl to inform her of the boy's better condition, but as she reached out, the young Goldstein swatted at her. The maid covered her mouth to keep from giggling as she backed away and headed for the door. As she closed it, she bid the young pair goodnight.

* * *

 **Elyon and Joel**

* * *

Elyon hummed softly as she hung the sparkling snowflakes outside her house. She was feeling excited about this year's holiday. Joel and his parents were coming to stay a few days after learning that the girl would spend such occasions by herself.

As she brought the blueberry cheesecake from the oven, the doorbell rang.

"Just a minute please!" she called, and set the dessert down.

She ran to the door and opened it. There she found Joel, a young girl, and his parents. Joel looked uncomfortable, as his hair was neatly combed and parted in the middle. Elyon didn't want to say it out loud, but she thought he looked rather silly. Standing next to him was the little girl, likely his sister Julia, her brown hair neatly pulled back into a ponytail. Behind them stood their mother, her brown hair pulled back into a loose braid, and their father, his scarred arms full of presents. Elyon smiled brightly and stepped to the side.

"Please, come in," she invited them.

"Thank you," Mrs. Crawford chirped.

"Thanks, Elyon," Mr. Crawford added, setting the gifts down on the coffee table.

"Thank you, Ellie!" Julia sang.

Joel scratched the back of his neck and walked in. His mother nudged him.

"Thanks," he quietly said.

Elyon thought his attitude was a little strange, but she brushed it off and walked back into the kitchen.

"I'll be done soon," she told them, "I just need to finish a the salad and the rolls."

"Do you need any help?" Joel's mother asked.

"Sure, if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course!" the woman smiled. "Nigel, Joel, and Julia and take care of the cleanup."

"Hey!"

"Fine..."

"But I don't want to get my new dress dirty!"

Joel and Julia started bickering while their father tried to calm them down. The two women laughed as they got to work. The first few moments in the kitchen were quiet, save for the sound of dishes clinking.

"You know, my mother was _horrible_ at cooking," Elyon commented, "Anything that involved the stove or oven were things I had to handle."

"You don't know the half of it. She had actually _improved_ at cooking by the time she had you. Ugh, she tried to make brownies once," the woman's face took on a green shade. "We were sick for days..."

Elyon laughed. She'd heard the story from her mother.

"You know," Mrs. Crawford said suddenly, "you're quite a bit like her." When Elyon tilted her head, the woman continued. "You laugh like her, I've heard you're as stubborn as her. More soft spoken, but your statements are apparently just as powerful. I've also heard something about word magic?"

"My mother had that?"

"Sure did." She nodded. "She just didn't know how to use it, so she didn't bother cultivating it." She smiled. "She predicted that my husband and I would end up married happily... and that we'd have a couple of white haired grandbabies."

Elyon sputtered, and the sound of someone choking could be heard from the next room over. Mrs. Crawford cackled and rubbed the girl's head.

"I'm just kidding about the babies... But it would be ni-"

"Mom!" Joel interrupted, bursting into the kitchen, his face practically on fire.

"Would you relax?" the woman snapped, "I'm not expecting anything _now_. Maybe sometime after you two gradua-"

"Stop!" he squawked.

"Yeah, Ellie deserves better than my jerk of a brother," Julia sniffed, following him into the room.

The woman laughed and continued.

"Oh, please. They would have the cutest-"

Before she could finish, the mortified Joel grabbed Elyon and ran out of the house. They could hear loud laughter as they left. The boy's face was buried in his hands as he refused to look at her. Elyon stared at him.

"You're... being shy," she murmured. "You're being shy!" she began snickering.

"Shut up!"

"No, I don't think I will. I'm always feeling flustered, and you're always giving me hard time about it! Now it's _you_ get to see how it feels."

Joel glared at her in silence for a few moments. He let out a huff and started walking towards the forest. Elyon giggled before following after. Though neither spoke, she could feel the boy's embarrassment radiating off of him in waves. She giggled.

"That does it!" Joel snapped, whirling around.

Elyon laughed at how red his face was. He reached out, trying to grasp her hand, but this tie she evaded him. He stumbled and nearly ran into a tree.

"And here I thought you were graceful," Elyon giggled.

"Why are you acting so... so-!"

"Mischievous?" she offered. "I think it's just because I'm in a good mood."

He raised an eyebrow. Elyon explained.

"I'm really happy that you and your family came up to visit. It's been so long since I've spent a holiday with other people. Not since I was eleven or twelve. My house has been so quiet, but now..." She drifted off, a happy smile blooming on her face.

Joel scratched the back of his neck. The happiness she felt because of their visit filled him with guilt.

"They... They were really excited to visit," he stated, "My mom spent a long time trying to pick out your gift. My dad wants to do some minor repairs while we're here." He groaned. "And the little monster _adores_ you for some reason..."

Elyon's smile grew so wide, her mouth was beginning to hurt. She turned away, feeling silly for being so happy. Joel gently bumped her shoulder.

"Hey, let's walk for a bit. By the time we leave, you're gonna be sick of them."

"I don't think that's possible," she laughed, walking next to him.

For a while it was calm and quiet. They enjoyed one another's company in comfortable silence. As they moved through the forest, Joel reached out and, with some hesitation, took hold of her hand. Elyon smiled with a blush. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

"It's been a while since I walked through here," Elyon quietly commented, "It reminds me of when we were younger."

"Me too."

"Do you remember when I was trying to climb up one of these trees and fell?"

"Yes." He grimaced. "You wouldn't wait for me to come back with your mom. You broke your arm. Your mom was so panicked."

"And you cried."

"Of course I did! Your arm looked... horrible!"

"Would you catch me if I tried to climb that tree now?"

He glared at her and squeezed her hand, keeping her in place. She laughed.

"I'm just joking. I'm not wearing the proper clothes."

He rolled his eyes.

"Let's head back," she said suddenly, "I feel bad about leaving your mom to finish what I started."

"Fine. But my dad's probably helping her... And the monster is probably sitting on the porch waiting for us."

Elyon giggled and rested her head on her head on his shoulder. Joel blushed and went rigid. After a few moments, he rested his cheek on her head. As they walked back up to the girl's home, Julia was waiting, just as the boy had predicted. The little girl gagged and ran inside, leaving the young couple snickering as they walked up the steps.

* * *

 **Stella and Yukiya**

* * *

"I'm so happy!" Stella squealed, slinging her arms around Yukiya's neck. "You're really staying here with me!"

Yukiya just gave a quiet nod, his cheeks turning a light pink. His shy response only made the girl coo louder.

"Oh, you don't know how much I've been looking forward to this! You can help out at the shows, and you can get to know my family- oh, and Sansone and Jun might be stopping by for a show at some point! I know you two don't really get along right now, but I think he'll warm up to you and everyone else."

The girl continued chattering as they walked through the camp of La Magnifique, holding hands. Around them, people were setting up for the night's winter show. As they passed by one of the booths, a voice called out.

"Stella! Mister Reizen!"

The couple turned around to find the tall and inhumanly thin, Mr. Amicus. Though he wore a full face mask, the friendliness was evident in his voice. They pair greeted the leader of La Magnifique with a smile.

"Hello, Mr. Amicus!" Stella chirped, "How can we help you?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you two," the man began, "but I have a favor. Would you be willing to help out with the setup of tonight's show?"

The boy and girl exchanged a look.

"Well, I'm alright with it if you are, Yukiya."

"Sure."

Mr. Amicus clapped his gloved hands together in a pleased manner.

"Thank you, children!" he exclaimed, "Just head over to Gavriil, and he'll give you some tasks."

And with that, the man ducked back into the shadows, and seemed to disappear altogether. Stella squeezed the boy's hand and lead him towards Gavriil. Yukiya was wary of the man, not because he was a vampire, but more so because he was his girlfriend's first crush. When he saw them approaching, the vampire smiled and blew a flaxen lock from his forehead.

"It seems Amicus found you," Gavriil said with a pitying smile, "and now you need to help."

"It's no bother, Gav." Stella smiled back, and Yukiya nodded in agreement.

"Well, Mr and Mrs Felip need help setting in the main tent, and Fenn could use some help in getting the booths set up."

"I'll help the Felips. I wanted to see what it's gonna look like for tonight, anyway," Stella stated. "Yuki, would you be alright with helping out Fenn? We can hang out once we finish up."

"Sure."

The girl smiled and gave him a light peck on the cheek before she ran off toward the largest of the tents. The boy watched her for just a moment, then turned and started towards the strongman.

A few hours later, they had both finally finished their assigned work. However, just as they'd met up, Evangelos stopped them from leaving.

"Aren't you in the show tonight?" he asked Stella.

"Yeah, why?"

"You need to start getting ready now, then. It starts in a few hours."

"Oh!" Stella looked surprised, then threw Yukiya a guilty look.

"Go ahead. We have all break."

She smiled and gave a quick, apologetic hug. Once he'd returned it, she went running up the path to her tent. Left alone with the winged boy, Yukiya began to shift uncomfortably.

"Hey, Wolfboy," Evangelos suddenly said, his tone less aggressive than usual, "are you helping anyone out tonight?"

"... No."

"Then take one of my shifts for the ticket booth. I'll take the first one if you take the second."

Yukiya furrowed his brow. He couldn't fathom how Stella managed to be such good friends with the boy. Evangelos rolled his eyes.

"Look, I want to see the show, too. I can't if I'm at the booth all night. You can watch the first act, cause Stella is pretty much only in that one. After that, You come switch out with me, and I can watch the second act," he explained, "Look, I really don't care if you manage to find someone to take your place. I'm only asking you because you're the only person who doesn't have an actual job here."

Yukiya continued to stare at him with a furrowed brow. The winged boy sighed.

"Stella's gonna wanna hang out with you as soon as she's done. If you can't find someone to take over, she will,"he further reasoned. " _Please_."

The blue haired boy let out a heavy sigh. After a few moments, he nodded. Evangelos gave him a wide smile, smacked his back, and ran off. Yukiya frowned and ended up playing cards with some of the acrobats as they waited for the show to begin.

Less than three hours later, Yukiya filed into the main tent and took a seat along with the audience. Mr. Amicus, donning a dark blue cape and facial mask with painted stars, walked to the center stage. He began to tell the Malduran tale of the winter holiday celebrating the first queen to act as the main ruler. The story claimed that every winter, stars fall to the earth, shifting into various shapes and forms. A rare form is that of a female human. These women are called 'The Daughters of Heavens'. As Mr. Amicus narrated this portion of the story, female acrobats dressed in silver began entering the stage, spinning on hanging hoops or dancing across the stage. Yukiya grinned when he caught sight of his own star.  
The story went on to describe how one of the Daughters of the Heavens landed in the king's gardens. There she met the King's heir, and the two fell madly in love. A young woman dressed in a silver body suit approached another figure dressed in bright green and blue. The pair danced across the stage as the silver Daughters of the Heavens slowly circled the stage from the ground and from above. The effect seemed to place Mr. Amicus and the performers in another world.  
The narration continued, and closed the act with the scene where the two lovers decide to ask for the blessing of the king. The performers began exiting the stage, and the audience cheered. Yukiya applauded, mesmerized by all the La Magnifique members' performance.

As the audience began filing out for a break, the boy's heart sank as he remembered the agreement he'd made with Evangelos. Without getting the chance to talk to his girlfriend, Yukiya made his way to the ticket booth. The winged boy brightened when he saw him.

"Thanks!" He grinned. "I won't forget this!"

And just like that, he was gone. Yukiya sighed and sat down in the booth. A few people would come in every once in a while, but overall, the shift was painfully boring. He could understand why Evangelos would want someone else to take over.

"What are you doing here?" cried a familiar voice.

The boy look up and found Stella, still dressed in her star costume. Upon closer inspection, her makeup was far brighter and more exaggerated than it seemed during the performance. She furrowed her brow before running off without a word. When she'd returned, she had brought a girl with a lion's main and other feline features with her. The lion girl grumbled as Stella explained she owed her a favor and would take over. Relieved, Yukiya quietly thanked the girl and took Stella's offered hand.

"You're all done?" he asked.

"For at least the rest of the night!" she chirped, then yawned, "Let's head to our tent."

Yukiya froze, his eyes widening.

" _Our_ tent?" he repeated.

"Yup! All couples get their own tent. They're not very large, but since the tents are enchanted, it's like having a hotel room."

"I-It's just us?"

"Uh, huh!" She nodded, then giggled. "Relax, we have our own beds."

"Oh." The boy wasn't sure if he felt relieved or disappointed.

He followed her into their tent and watched as she closed the door. On the inside, the tent really did look like a room. As Yukiya was looking around, he heard a zipper opening. He jumped when he realized Stella was changing. He whipped his head around and covered his eyes. He heard her laughing and blushed.

"You're such a sweetheart," she cooed, "Relax. We're both young adults. You're mature enough to handle this."

"You could have _warned_ me."

"Sorry!" she giggled, "I'll be ready in a second."

He waited until she gave him the go ahead before he turned around. He felt his face grow redder when he realized she had decided to use one of _his_ shirts as a nightgown. She wiped her face of the makeup before hopping onto one of the beds. He'd noticed the smirk on her face. Shaking his head, he sat down on the other bed next to hers. He tried to distract himself by asking how the Malduran legend ended.

"Well, it's bittersweet," Stella began, taking a seat next to him on his bed. "The lovers asked for the king's blessing, but he refused, believing the Daughters of the Heavens to be inferior. The lovers went against his wishes and got married anyway. When the king found out, he stripped his own heir of their title and wealth, as well their position as his heir. Despite their loss of status, the lovers stayed together and tried to help the people of the kingdom. They soon earned the love of the people, who pushed the denounced heir to try to regain their position as the future ruler. The king grew angry, and saw this movement as a threat to his position as well as the beginning of a coup." She paused, taking hold of the boy's hand. "In his anger, the king hired an assassin to end his child's life, and along with it any threat of rebellion. The denounced heir, however, was a better fighter than the king had anticipated. They managed to weaken the assassin so the civilians could capture him. Sadly, the assassin had used a poisoned dagger. The heir was dying, their head resting on the chest of their beloved. As the Daughter of the Heavens wept, she promised to reclaim the throne and create the thriving kingdom they'd dreamed of."

Stella leaned in wrapping her arms around Yukiya's neck. The lovers gazed into one another's eyes.

"The Daughter of the Heavens kept her promise," Stella continued. "The people of the kingdom loved her as they had loved the heir, whom they were now grieving. They followed her to the palace, and the sheer number of her supporters turned the soldiers against the king, who was forced to surrender. The people chose her to be their new queen, and her daughters after her. To this day, her kingdom is the most advanced in medicine and technology, and one of the most peaceful places to live."

The two leaned in closer, and their breaths began to mingle. Stella smiled.

"The love shared between the denounced heir and the Daughter of the Stars is said to be the most passionate and true of any legend: their love is believed to go beyond the stars."

"I don't need our love to go beyond the stars," Yukiya said quietly, "I just need it to reach _my_ star."

Stella stared at him, blushing. He smiled and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. They bumped their noses together, gazing into one another's eyes.

"It has," she whispered, "I love you, you sweet man."

"And I love you," he whispered back.

The lovers leaned in, exchanging another kiss.

* * *

 **Sorry I've been quiet for so long! Things have been kind of crazy, but here I am!  
I meant to finish this earlier, but I've been a bit overloaded with, well, life.  
Chapter 26 of The Fearful Heart's Magic is being worked on right now; I'm trying to work out the details of Stella's backstory. You know, trying to keep it from being overly tragic.  
Another update is for Wizardess OneShots. I'm going to be making a few changes to previous stories. Any previous chapters regarding Azusa will be changed to stories focusing on Amelia and Terrance. In the character introduction, a new girl will be replacing Cherry. There's still some time before I get around to it, but I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I'm just not happy with Azusa's story or how it was handled by Solmare.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this super long holiday special.  
Please leave reviews and critiques!  
** **Have a nice day/night!**


	32. Creampuff - Guy

"You look silly!" Calanthe laughed. "You have cream all over your face!"

Guy gave her an embarrassed smiled as he tried to wipe his face clean. Calla's snickering was enough to tell him that he kept missing it. She watched him in amusement and popped another creampuff into her mouth.

"Don't be so mean! Tell me where it is!" he chuckled.

Calla's golden hair bounced as she shook her head.

"No way! This is funny."

"If that's how you're gonna play..." Guy leaped towards her.

Calanthe laughed and rolled to her feet. She stuck out her tongue and went running off into the forest. Guy scrambled to his feet and ran after her.

"One way or another, I'm gonna find you!" he called, "And then you'll be in trouble!"

The girl's laughter echoed through trees. Guy rubbed his head and sighed.

 _She... She's good at hiding... I might actually have some trouble..._

He wandered through the woods, looking for any trace of her. Every once in a while, he'd hear movement, but it would be too quick for him to see what made the sound. As he approached a clearing, he struck with an idea.

"Oh, shi-" he shouted, falling to the ground. "Ow!"

"Are you alright?!" Calanthe gasped, running up to him.

Guy grinned and waited for her to kneel down next to him. As she reached out to touch him, he jumped up and tackled her. She shrieked as they both landed in the flowers.

"You jerk! I thought you actually hurt yourself!" she huffed, smacking his chest.

"Ow! That actually hurts! Ouch! Stop, I'm sorry!"

"You should be!" She glared up at him.

"Wait." He furrowed his brow. "This is _your_ fault! You wouldn't tell me where the cream was!"

"It's still there," she giggled.

"Calla!"

"Alright, alright. I'll get it."

With that, Calanthe cupped his face and pulled him down. She pressed her lips to his. As she pulled away, Guy stared at her in silent shock. The girl blushed and laughed, then scrambled out from under him. Guy looked at her with a bright red face. He cracked a smile.

"T-That's not fair." He scratched the back of his neck. "You're too cute..."

She only smiled as she watched him move closer. As he reached out to her, she jumped to her feet.

"Come on, we shouldn't leave our stuff unattended for too long," she chirped.

"Ugh... Stop teasing me!" Guy groaned, but his gaze was affectionate.

"It's what I do." She offered her hand.

The boy took it, but as soon as he'd gotten to his feet, he leaned in and kissed the girl's nose. Calanthe squeaked in surprise, and Guy laughed. Intertwining their fingers, they made their way back through the forest.

* * *

 **Our first oneshot of Calanthe and Guy!  
All oneshots of Azusa have been replaced, and Cherry's profile has been replaced on the character page.**

Feel free to leave reviews, requests, and comments!  
Thanks for reading, and have a nice day/night!


	33. A Future Prefect - ?

"So, Klaus. Do you really think I could become a prefect after you?" a girl asked, carefully gathering the documents.

"That depends on you," the young man replied, "but I don't see why not."

"I think you'd be great for it!" Sigurd added. "You're already really helping us out with the prefect work."

The girl laughed as she plopped down on the couch.

"You really have to do a lot, don't you?"

"There wouldn't be so much if Randy would pull his weight," the Goldstein growled.

Sigurd and the girl chuckled. After a moment, the purple haired young man stood up. He bid his farewell, claiming he'd promised to meet up with Leon and study. After he left, the girl smirked.

"Right, _study_."

Klaus rolled his eyes as he prepared some tea.

"I don't care what he does, so long as he's not harassing me about _coffee_." The young man sneered at the mere thought of coffee.

The girl giggled. She had never minded coffee, so long as it had enough cream and sugar. She stood up and grabbed a cookie tin from the shelf. While she set it down on the table, Klaus walked over with two tea cups. She grabbed one of the sugar cookies from the tin and spoke.

"It's crazy that the Headmaster is retiring next year," she mused, "there's never been another person in charge of the school, right?"

"Yes." Klaus took a sip from his cup. "Things will certainly change."

"There's going to be more prefects, isn't there? And I heard someone say the prefects would have different uniforms from the rest of the students."

"That'll all be after I graduate."

"That's another crazy thing. You not being at school anymore."

"Elias will still be here, as will your friends."

"But you won't." She smiled at him. "Even though you're a jerk, I'll miss you."

They sat in silence for a few moments. The girl took a sip of her tea.

"I'll come back and visit."

She glanced at him in surprise. He said nothing else as he picked up a document.

"Make sure you bring Cecilia, okay? She's awesome! She has the power to make you more pleasant."

Klaus shot her a quick glare at her comment. The girl only chuckled and picked up one of the other documents. She carefully looked it over.

"You'll be a great prefect."

Once again, the girl looked up in surprise. The prefect still wasn't looking at her, but his expression seemed softer. The girl smiled. After a moment, she directed her attention back to the paper in her hand.

 _I hope I will._

* * *

 **Ooh... a reference to a future story? Or perhaps a single glimpse into the events that occur later in the WH timeline?  
Who knows. I don't. I'm struggling with trying to finish what I've started.  
And who is this mysterious girl? Stella, Elyon, Ana, Elias in drag? Who knows? You don't.**


	34. First Loves Don't Always Last - Klaus

_I wish I could have kept loving you._

"I'm so sorry."

 _That's not the life I want._

"... I... understand." He didn't look her in the eyes.

 _I don't want to be burdened by the Goldstein name. I don't want to deal with the issues that go along with it._

"I appreciate all you've done for me. You really are an amazing man."

 _I don't want to just be "Mrs. Goldstein". I want to be recognized as an individual person, as Cecilia Bentley._

"I... I want to be free to forge my own path. For it to be my own, not..."

"Not another Goldstein achievement," he finished.

"Klaus..." she took a deep breath, "I don't want to deal with the newspapers and the rumors. I'm sick of hearing it."

"You fought it off for so long, so-"

"Exactly! It's been years and _still_ they harass me. I'm tired of it. But that's not the main reason."

Cecilia forced him to look at her. She didn't allow herself to falter, even when she saw his pained amethyst eyes.

"I'm leaving Gedonelune after I graduate. I received an invitation to work in Maldura as a spellweaver. I'm going to finally get myself and my father out of that town. He'll get the medical attention he needs, and it'll be safer for me in case I get really sick again."

"You've used pathos and logos." Klaus sighed. "You don't need to justify your decisions to me. I know you're not the type of person who would try to hurt me for the hell of it."

"But I still am, aren't I?"

 _I never wanted to hurt him._

"I could go with you. I could find work there."

Cecilia shook her head. She had expected him to suggest that.

"I know you, Klaus. You've only just started working for the Ministry, and I _know_ you have projects to attend to here in Gedonelune."

"I-"

"Don't change your path just for my sake, Klaus. I'll do the same. We shouldn't have to leave behind our dreams to be with the one we love. We both deserve more than that."

Klaus said nothing, but his jaw was tight. Cecilia had known him long enough to know that he was trying to hold back his emotions.

"I want you to pursue your goals and to succeed, just as much as I do for myself. It's going to hurt. It'll take some time, but we'll survive and be all the better for it."

It was faint, but he nodded.

"I am so grateful for all the help you've given me."

She stared up into his eyes and gave him the brightest, kindest smile she could muster.

"I'm so glad I had the chance to fall in love with you, Klaus Goldstein."

He gave her a weak smile.

"Thank you for giving me chance to love someone like you, Cecilia Bentley."

"I hope you find all the happiness you can. You deserve it."

With that, she turned and walked away. She could hear him walking in another direction. She would not turn around, she would not look back. She knew he would do the same.  
She had loved him, he had loved her. Their paths had met, but now they were splitting off into other directions. Cecilia didn't know where their paths would lead. She only hoped they could both be happy at the end.

* * *

 **Don't worry Klaus fans. Both he and Cecilia find love and happiness. Everyone has first loves, and everyone believes it'll last forever. Sometimes it does, but more often than not it doesn't. Most of my characters do, but a few of my characters don't.**


End file.
